A Red Brick Building from the Hojo Coal Mine
The Kyushu Maxell Red Brick Memorial Hall (Former Mine Workshop of the Mitsubishi Hojo Colliery) (九州マクセル赤煉瓦記念館（旧三菱方城炭礦坑務工作室）) is a two-storey brick building of about 1904, formerly part of the Hojo coal mine, in Ikata, Fukuchi-machi, Tagawa District, Fukuoka Prefecture, which in 1997 was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a slate roof with a rooftop tower and a building area of 297 square metres, owned by Maxell, Ltd.
The Agency explains that it dates from the opening of the Hojo colliery, begun in 1902, and was first used as a fan house.
Structure
According to the Agency, it is a two-storey brick building rising to three storeys along the street. The bricks are said to have been fired specially for the mine's development.
Fukuchi Town notes that, having housed the fans that ventilated the mine, it has a tall, dignified form, partly three storeys high.
What to Look For
Fukuchi Town notes that the Hojo mine suffered in 1914 what is said to be the worst disaster in Japanese mining history, killing 687, yet flourished as a centre of the Chikuho coalfield until closing in 1962. Chimneys and headframes were then demolished, but red brick buildings modelled on Western mines remain.
The town calls this one of the best-preserved coal industry buildings in Chikuho. Ivy covers the whole building, changing with the seasons.
Visiting the Kyushu Maxell Red Brick Memorial Hall (Former Mine Workshop of the Mitsubishi Hojo Colliery)
Fukuchi Town says the ground floor is a company product showroom and the upper floor a reception space. No official visitor information could be found.
Enquiries: Fukuchi Town lifelong learning section, 080-6694-4811.
Q&A
- When was the building built?
- Around 1904.
- What was it originally for?
- A fan house ventilating the mine.
- What was the Hojo colliery?
- A Chikuho coal mine opened from 1902 and closed in 1962.
- What about the bricks?
- They are said to have been fired specially for the mine.
- How is 方城 read?
- Hojo.
Basic Information
| Name | Kyushu Maxell Red Brick Memorial Hall (Former Mine Workshop of the Mitsubishi Hojo Colliery) (九州マクセル赤煉瓦記念館（旧三菱方城炭礦坑務工作室）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4680 Ikata, Fukuchi-machi, Tagawa District, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1997/9/3 (Heisei 9) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey brick with rooftop tower, slate roof, building area 297 square metres |
| Owner | Maxell, Ltd. |
| Public Access | No official visitor information found |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Kyushu Maxell Red Brick Memorial Hall (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000315
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kyushu Maxell Red Brick Memorial Hall (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/146925
- Fukuchi Town: Kyushu Maxell Red Brick Memorial Hall (Japanese)
- https://www.town.fukuchi.lg.jp/soshiki/gakushu/syakaikyoiku/bunkazai/bunkazai1/302.html
Last verified: 2026.09.28