About the Waterworks Museum (former Motojuku Water Purification Plant Office)
The Waterworks Museum (former Motojuku Water Purification Plant Office) (水道資料館（元宿浄水場旧事務所）) is the former office completed in 1932 at the Motojuku Water Purification Plant in Motojuku-cho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 5, 1997.
It is recorded as single-storey reinforced concrete with a building area of 122 square metres; registration number 10-0010, owned by Kiryu City. Kiryu's water supply began in April 1932, filtering groundwater at Motojuku and pumping it up to the reservoirs on Suidoyama hill (Kiryu City).
Why It Was Registered
The Waterworks Museum (former Motojuku Water Purification Plant Office) was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes how rare it is for a complete early Showa waterworks, from Motojuku to the high and low reservoirs at Tsutsumi-cho, to survive so well.
What to Look For
The Waterworks Museum stands in the north-east corner of the plant. Its scratch-tile walls, tall windows and pilasters give it a strongly vertical look (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Kiryu City).
Ceiling heights vary between the entrance and each room, and a single room has a gabled roof of coloured tiles, varying the outline. It now displays waterworks materials as the Waterworks Museum (Kiryu City).
Visiting the Waterworks Museum (former Motojuku Water Purification Plant Office)
According to Kiryu City, the Motojuku Water Purification Plant is normally closed to the public, so visitors cannot enter the site; view the buildings from outside. The address is 14-37 Motojuku-cho, Kiryu City; enquiries go to the Kiryu City Board of Education cultural properties section (0277-46-6467).
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Waterworks Museum (former Motojuku Water Purification Plant Office)
- [ Kusatsu Onsen & Tomioka Silk Mill Heritage Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Waterworks Museum built?
- In 1932, as the office of the Motojuku plant (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Kiryu City).
- What does the Waterworks Museum look like?
- Scratch-tile walls with strong verticals and one room under a coloured-tile gable (Kiryu City).
- What is displayed in the Waterworks Museum?
- Materials on Kiryu's waterworks (Kiryu City).
- When was the Waterworks Museum registered?
- On November 5, 1997.
- Can you visit the Waterworks Museum (former Motojuku Water Purification Plant Office)?
- The Motojuku plant is normally closed to the public (Kiryu City).
Basic Information
| Name | Waterworks Museum (former Motojuku Water Purification Plant Office) (水道資料館（元宿浄水場旧事務所）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 14-37 Motojuku-cho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1997/11/5 (Heisei 9) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey reinforced concrete with a building area of 122 square metres |
| Owner | Kiryu City |
| Public Access | Normally closed |
References
- Waterworks Museum (former Motojuku Water Purification Plant Office) (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000331
- Waterworks Museum (former Motojuku Water Purification Plant Office) (Kiryu City)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1002020.html
- Kiryu waterworks facilities (12) (Kiryu City)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1002008.html
Last verified: 2026.10.07
