A Bank Built to Serve Its Town
The Former Owada Bank Head Office Main Building (旧大和田銀行本店本館) is the head office of a bank of 1927 in Aioicho, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on February 23, 2017 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a three-storey steel-framed brick building with a basement and a rooftop tower, covering 338.30 square metres, with railings on the south and east sides; designation number 02654.
A Bank with Rooms for the Public
The main building was planned, at the wish of the bank's founder, as a bank that also offered the public a dining room, meeting rooms and other facilities (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It was designed by a team led by Nagase Kyozo, head of the building department of Kyoto Imperial University, and completed in 1927.
The Tsuruga Municipal Museum says construction began in 1925, to designs by the Yoshida and Nagase office of Kyoto, built by the Kyoto branch of Shimizu-gumi, with a total floor area of 1,417.7 square metres. After the head office it served as branches of the Sanwa Bank and the Fukui Bank; it was given to Tsuruga City in 1977 and opened in 1978 as the city's folk history museum.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency values it highly as a provincial bank building that aimed to serve its community. It was designated an Important Cultural Property on February 23, 2017.
Geometry and Classical Touches
Inside and out, the design rests on geometric ornament, with classical elements on the ground-floor walls and in the customer hall that give it a bank's gravity, and original touches such as the entrance canopies, all brought together without strain (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Within a limited size, several entrances, staircases and a lift are cleverly arranged so that banking and public functions fit efficiently together (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
What to Look For
Look for the classical details of the ground-floor walls and customer hall, and the original design of the entrance canopies (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is open to visitors as the Tsuruga Municipal Museum, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.). It closes on Mondays (or the next weekday if Monday is a holiday) and from December 29 to January 3; admission is 300 yen, free for high school students and younger (Tsuruga Municipal Museum).
Q&A
- When was the former Owada Bank main building built?
- It was completed in 1927 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Who designed the former Owada Bank main building?
- A team led by Nagase Kyozo of Kyoto Imperial University.
- Can I visit the former Owada Bank main building?
- Yes, as the Tsuruga Municipal Museum; admission is 300 yen.
- Why is it an Important Cultural Property?
- It is a fine provincial bank designed to serve its community.
- When was the Former Owada Bank Head Office Main Building designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On February 23, 2017 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Owada Bank Head Office Main Building (旧大和田銀行本店本館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 7-8 Aioicho, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 2017/02/23 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Steel-framed brick, 3 storeys and basement, rooftop tower, 338.30 m² |
| Owner | Tsuruga City |
| Public Access | Tsuruga Municipal Museum (9:00 to 17:00, closed Mondays, 300 yen) |
References
- Former Owada Bank Head Office Main Building (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/00004944
- About the former Owada Bank head office (Tsuruga Municipal Museum, Japanese)
- https://tsuruga-municipal-museum.jp/introduction/tsuruga/
- Visitor information (Tsuruga Municipal Museum, Japanese)
- https://tsuruga-municipal-museum.jp/guide/annai
Last verified: 2026.10.16
