Water Museum (Former Motojuku Water Purification Plant Office): A Treasure of Early Showa-Era Waterworks Architecture
Tucked within the grounds of a working water purification plant in Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, the Water Museum — originally the administrative office of the Motojuku Water Purification Plant — stands as an elegant testament to Japan's early modern infrastructure. Completed in 1932, this single-story reinforced concrete building was designated a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 1997 and continues to serve the community as a museum dedicated to the history of Kiryu's water supply.
Kiryu, a city long celebrated as one of Japan's foremost textile production centers, embarked on its public water supply project during the Taisho era. The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 temporarily delayed the project, but construction ultimately resumed and was completed in 1932. The former office building, now the Water Museum, is one of twelve registered cultural properties that together represent this remarkable waterworks system — a system that has been in continuous operation since its founding over ninety years ago.
Why It Was Designated a Registered Tangible Cultural Property
The Water Museum was registered as a national Tangible Cultural Property on November 5, 1997, in recognition of its architectural and historical significance. As part of a comprehensive waterworks system built in the early Showa period, it represents a rare and well-preserved example of public utility architecture from that era.
Several factors contributed to its designation. The building's exterior features scratch tile cladding and a design that emphasizes vertical lines through the use of tall, narrow windows and pilaster-like columns — a style influenced by the modernist architectural trends of the 1920s and 1930s. The architect also introduced subtle design variations: ceiling heights differ from room to room, and a single room is topped with a colored tile gable roof, breaking up the otherwise flat-roofed silhouette and adding visual interest to the facade.
Beyond its individual architectural merit, the building gains additional significance as part of a larger ensemble. The Motojuku Water Purification Plant and the related facilities on Suidoyama hill together form one of the best-preserved early Showa-era waterworks complexes in Japan. The fact that the original infrastructure and delivery systems remain operational to this day makes this site exceptionally valuable from both engineering and cultural heritage perspectives.
Architectural Highlights and Visitor Experience
Approaching the Water Museum, visitors are immediately struck by the warmth of its scratch tile exterior — a popular finishing technique among Japanese architects in the early twentieth century that can also be seen on several other notable buildings in Kiryu, including the Kiryu Textile Hall. The tiles give the facade a handcrafted texture that softens the solidity of the reinforced concrete structure beneath.
The building's most distinctive feature is its emphasis on verticality. Tall, narrow windows and column-shaped pilasters draw the eye upward, lending the compact 122-square-meter structure an impression of height and dignity that belies its single-story form. One room is set apart by a colored tile gable roof, creating a charming break in the roofline that adds character to the overall composition.
Inside, the museum displays a variety of artifacts and materials related to the history of Kiryu's water supply. Visitors can see vintage pipes, valves, historical documents, and photographs documenting the construction and operation of the purification plant since 1932. The varying ceiling heights between rooms create an interesting spatial rhythm that enhances the experience of moving through the exhibition spaces.
The Broader Motojuku Waterworks Complex
The Water Museum is just one component of a remarkable group of waterworks facilities that have been recognized as cultural properties. The Motojuku Water Purification Plant compound also includes the Pump Room, the Rapid Filtration Building, the Regulation Pond, and the Junction Well — all registered as Tangible Cultural Properties on the same date in 1997. Additional related facilities on nearby Suidoyama hill, including the former Distribution Office (now the Suidoyama Memorial Hall), high and low distribution reservoirs, and measuring rooms, bring the total number of registered properties to twelve.
What makes this complex truly extraordinary is that the original water supply system — drawing groundwater from the left bank of the Watarase River, filtering it at the purification plant, pumping it up to the hilltop reservoirs, and distributing it by gravity to the city below — continues to function exactly as designed more than nine decades ago. This living heritage of infrastructure is a rare find in any country.
Kiryu: A City of Textiles and Modern Heritage
Kiryu City provides a rich context for a visit to the Water Museum. Known throughout Japan by the saying "Nishijin in the west, Kiryu in the east," the city has been a center of silk textile production for over a thousand years. The Meiji-era modernization brought sawtooth-roofed factories and Western-style industrial buildings to the city, many of which survive today and have been recognized as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties or components of Japan Heritage sites.
The scratch tile architectural style seen on the Water Museum was widely adopted in Kiryu during the 1930s boom period. The Kiryu Textile Memorial Hall, completed in 1934, features a similar scratch tile exterior and is another registered cultural property well worth visiting. Walking through Kiryu's streets, visitors encounter an unusually dense concentration of early modern architecture that tells the story of a city that prospered through industry and invested in civic infrastructure of lasting quality.
Nearby Attractions
The area around the Water Museum offers several points of interest for visitors. The Suidoyama Memorial Hall, the former distribution office located on a nearby hillside, shares a similar architectural style and is open to the public. The Kiryu Textile Memorial Hall in Eiraku-cho showcases the city's textile heritage with exhibitions, historical looms, and a shop selling Kiryu-ori silk products. Visitors can also explore the Kiryu Shinmachi Traditional Building Preservation District, a well-preserved streetscape of merchant houses and workshops, or visit the Okawa Museum of Art for its collection of modern Japanese and Western paintings. Nature lovers may enjoy strolling through Azuma Park, which is particularly beautiful during tulip season in spring and iris season in early summer.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Waterworks Museum (former Office of Motojuku Water
- [ Kusatsu Onsen & Tomioka Silk Mill Heritage Tours ]
Q&A
- Is the Water Museum free to enter?
- The Water Museum is located within the grounds of the Motojuku Water Purification Plant, which is an active municipal facility. Visitors are advised to contact the Kiryu City Waterworks Bureau (Tel: 0277-44-3363) in advance to confirm visiting arrangements and current access conditions.
- How do I get to the Water Museum from Kiryu Station?
- The museum is approximately 730 meters from JR Kiryu Station and about 640 meters from Maruyamashita Station on the Jomo Electric Railway. It is a comfortable walk of around 8–10 minutes from either station.
- Can I see other registered cultural properties at the same site?
- Yes. Several other registered cultural properties are located within or near the Motojuku Water Purification Plant grounds, including the Pump Room, Rapid Filtration Building, Junction Well, and Regulation Pond. Additional waterworks cultural properties can be found on nearby Suidoyama hill.
- Is English signage available at the museum?
- As a small municipal facility, the museum may have limited English-language signage. It is recommended to research the site in advance or use a translation app during your visit. The architectural beauty of the building and the visual nature of many exhibits can be appreciated regardless of language.
- What is the best season to visit?
- The museum and surrounding waterworks facilities can be visited year-round. Spring and autumn are especially pleasant for walking between the various registered cultural properties in the complex. Kiryu also offers seasonal attractions such as the tulip festival at Azuma Park in April and autumn foliage at Hotokuji Temple.
Basic Information
| Name | Water Museum (Former Motojuku Water Purification Plant Office) / 水道資料館（元宿浄水場旧事務所） |
|---|---|
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Date of Registration | November 5, 1997 |
| Year of Completion | 1932 (Showa 7) |
| Structure | Reinforced concrete, single-story |
| Building Area | 122 square meters |
| Address | 14-37 Motojuku-cho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture 376-0027, Japan |
| Owner | Kiryu City |
| Access | Approximately 10 minutes on foot from JR Kiryu Station (Ryomo Line); approximately 8 minutes from Maruyamashita Station (Jomo Electric Railway) |
| Contact | Kiryu City Waterworks Bureau: 0277-44-3363 / Cultural Properties Division: 0277-46-6467 |
References
- 水道資料館（元宿浄水場旧事務所） — 桐生市ホームページ
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1002020.html
- 水道資料館（元宿浄水場旧事務所） — 文化遺産オンライン
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/137601
- 元宿浄水場 — Wikipedia
- https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%85%83%E5%AE%BF%E6%B5%84%E6%B0%B4%E5%A0%B4
- 国指定文化財等データベース — 文化庁
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000339
- 桐生織物会館旧館 — 桐生市ホームページ
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1001995.html
Last verified: 2026.03.24