A Three-Storey Photo Studio in Takehara
The Former Hinomaru Photo Studio (旧日の丸写真館) is a three-storey timber photo studio built around 1932 on a corner by the Hon River beside the historic townscape district of Honmachi, Takehara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 19, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Takehara City).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records three storeys of timber with a tiled roof and a building area of 97 square metres, altered around 1945; registration number 34-0140.
A Photo Studio in an Old Town
According to Takehara City, the Former Hinomaru Photo Studio was built around 1932 by the Takehara carpenter Yoshina Ichijiro, and its distinctive form has made it a landmark around the preservation district. It was also a place where photography, a new trade brought to Japan at the end of the Edo period, was practised.
Takehara City also lists it among the settings of the anime "Tamayura", as the photo studio the heroine visits (Takehara City).
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The Former Hinomaru Photo Studio was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. Takehara City notes that its window openings keep their original arrangement and show the skill of early Showa building, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs says it creates a unique townscape.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it fills a trapezoidal corner plot by the Hon River at the south-west of the Takehara preservation district, with its west corner cut off and, on the third floor, the north corner angled too.
The Former Hinomaru Photo Studio has a photo retouching room on the second floor and a studio and darkroom on the third, and its overall form and openings remain as built (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The Former Hinomaru Photo Studio is at 4996-2 Honmachi 1-chome, Takehara, about 15 minutes on foot from JR Takehara Station on the Kure Line (Takehara City). No interior opening has been confirmed, so view it from the street.
Enquiries go to the Culture and Lifelong Learning Division of the Takehara City Board of Education (0846-22-2328).
Q&A
- When was it built?
- Around 1932, with alterations around 1945 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Takehara City).
- Who built it?
- The Takehara carpenter Yoshina Ichijiro (Takehara City).
- What is unusual about its shape?
- It fills a trapezoidal plot, with corners cut off on the west and, upstairs, the north (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What was on the third floor?
- The studio and darkroom (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Former Hinomaru Photo Studio registered?
- On December 19, 2014.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Hinomaru Photo Studio (旧日の丸写真館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-4996-2 Honmachi, Takehara City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2014/12/19 (Heisei 26) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 3 storeys, tiled roof, building area 97 square metres |
| Owner | Not listed in the national database |
| Public Access | Exterior only; no interior opening information |
References
- Former Hinomaru Photo Studio (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010348
- Former Hinomaru Photo Studio (Takehara City)
- https://www.city.takehara.lg.jp/soshikikarasagasu/bunkashogaigakushuka/gyomuannai/9/1/8/2423.html
- Tamayura (Takehara City)
- https://www.city.takehara.lg.jp/soshikikarasagasu/sangyoshinkoka/gyomuannai/3/2073.html
Last verified: 2026.10.11