A Timber Hall of 1941 in Mino
The Former Mino Town Industrial Hall (旧美濃町産業会館) is a two-storey timber hall built by the Mino Town credit and purchasing cooperative of 1941 in Mino City, Gifu Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on February 9, 2005 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
.jpg)
The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a slate roof and a building area of 509 square metres; registration number 21-0053.
A Two-Storey Cooperative Hall
The former Mino Town Industrial Hall was built in 1941 by the Mino Town credit and purchasing cooperative (Agency for Cultural Affairs). A gabled timber building of two full storeys, 22 metres by 11 metres, it has a tiled base and clapboard above, with a hanging ornament, a yoraku, under the front eaves.
Its window heads and sills are joined into bands that run almost all the way round, giving the exterior a strong horizontal line (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Japan Tourism Agency describes it as the largest surviving timber building of the Showa period in the town of Mino.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design.
The Mino Washi Akari Art Gallery
The former Mino Town Industrial Hall now houses the Mino Washi Akari Art Gallery, which shows prize-winning works from the Mino Washi Akari Art Exhibition held every autumn (Gifu Prefecture Tourism Federation). The upper floor recreates the exhibition with lamps of washi paper.
What to Look For
At the former Mino Town Industrial Hall, look for the horizontal bands joining the window heads and sills, the yoraku ornament under the front eaves and the tiled base (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The former Mino Town Industrial Hall is owned by Mino City and is open as the Mino Washi Akari Art Gallery (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Japan Tourism Agency). According to the Gifu Prefecture Tourism Federation, it opens from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (to 4:00 p.m. from October to March) and is closed on Tuesdays (or the next day if Tuesday is a holiday), the day after holidays and over the New Year. Admission for adults is 200 yen.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1941 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Who built it?
- The Mino Town credit and purchasing cooperative.
- How is it used now?
- As the Mino Washi Akari Art Gallery.
- What marks the exterior?
- Bands joining the window heads and sills.
- When was the Former Mino Town Industrial Hall registered?
- On February 9, 2005 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Mino Town Industrial Hall (旧美濃町産業会館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1901-3 Motozumicho, Mino City, Gifu Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005/02/09 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, slate roof, 509 m² |
| Owner | Mino City |
| Public Access | Open as the Mino Washi Akari Art Gallery |
References
- Former Mino Town Industrial Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00004546
- Mino Washi Akari Art Gallery (Gifu Prefecture Tourism Federation, in Japanese)
- https://www.kankou-gifu.jp/spot/detail_3186.html
- Mino Washi Light Art Museum (Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Commentary Database)
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/common/001653469.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.30