A Girls' School Library with Round Windows
Okyu Kaikan (桜丘会館) is the former library and alumnae hall of Iwaki Girls' High School of 1938 in Taira, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on April 25, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 168 square metres, altered in 1952; registration number 07-0148.
A Library, a Classroom and a Practice Dormitory
Okyu Kaikan is the former library and alumnae hall of Iwaki Girls' High School, at the south of the school site (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It consists of a main block with the library on the ground floor and a tatami-floored classroom above, and a newer block to the west that served as a dormitory where pupils practised household life.
Its mortar walls have round windows, tall windows with segmental arches and horizontal windows at the corners, showing the influence of the architectural trends of the early Showa period (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes that it shows the influence of early Showa architectural trends, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the round windows, the tall segmental-arched windows and the horizontal corner windows in the mortar walls (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Fukushima Prefecture (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It stands on a school site, and no official information on public access was found.
Q&A
- When was Okyu Kaikan built?
- In 1938 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is the name read?
- Okyu Kaikan.
- What was it built as?
- The library and alumnae hall of Iwaki Girls' High School.
- What marks its windows?
- Round windows, segmental-arched windows and corner windows.
- When was Okyu Kaikan registered?
- On April 25, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Okyu Kaikan (桜丘会館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 5-1 Taira Sakuramachi, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2014/04/25 (Heisei 26) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, tiled roof, 168 m² |
| Owner | Fukushima Prefecture |
| Public Access | On a school site; no official information on access |
References
- Okyu Kaikan (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009893
Last verified: 2026.10.23