A Small Concrete Office Block in Kiryu
The Kanazen Building (金善ビル) is a reinforced-concrete office building of around 1921, four storeys above ground and one below, in Honcho 5-chome, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 27, 2006. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a good example of an early reinforced-concrete office building in a provincial city.
The Agency records it as reinforced concrete, four storeys and a basement, with a building area of 94 square metres and a rooftop structure; registration number 10-0158, with no owner listed.
A Building of the Weaving Town
According to Kiryu City, it was built by Kanai Tsunehachiro, second head of the Kanazen weaving firm in Tsutsumi-cho, and named after the trade name of the founder, Kanai Zentaro.
Its plan is roughly square, about 8 metres front and back and 9 metres at the sides. Beams radiate in four directions from a free-standing central column, and there are columns only at the middle of each wall and none at the corners, a mix of frame and wall construction (Kiryu City).
Why It Was Registered
The Kanazen Building was registered as a building that has become a model of design. Kiryu City values it as a late Taisho building that shows the transitional form of reinforced-concrete construction in a provincial city.
What to Look For
The front of the Kanazen Building is in three tiers: a tall ground floor finished to look like stone, white tiles above, and Secession-style ornament over the entrance (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Kiryu City notes the tall sash windows of the middle section, horizontal lines and a relief-decorated parapet at the top, and steel fire shutters on the first and second floors.
Inside, the ground floor has a ceiling 4.8 metres high, plastered walls, column capitals and plaster ornament on the ceiling, beams and openings; the staircase is of timber (Kiryu City).
Visiting the Kanazen Building
According to Kiryu City, the interior of the Kanazen Building is used as a shop selling textiles. We found no official information on visits; the exterior can be seen from Honcho-dori. The address is 345 Honcho 5-chome, Kiryu City.
Q&A
- When was the Kanazen Building built?
- Around 1921 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where does the name Kanazen come from?
- From the trade name of Kanai Zentaro, founder of the Kanazen weaving firm (Kiryu City).
- What does the Kanazen Building look like?
- A stone-effect ground floor, white tiles above and Secession-style ornament over the entrance (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is the Kanazen Building structured?
- Beams radiate from a central column, with no corner columns, mixing frame and wall construction (Kiryu City).
- When was the Kanazen Building registered?
- On March 27, 2006.
Basic Information
| Name | Kanazen Building (金善ビル) |
|---|---|
| Location | 5-345 Honcho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/3/27 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, 4 storeys above ground and 1 below, building area 94 square metres, with rooftop structure |
| Owner | Not listed in the national record |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable from the street (interior used as a shop) |
References
- Kanazen Building (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005409
- Kanazen Building (Kiryu City)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1010101.html
Last verified: 2026.10.07