An Island Village Office
The Former Onomichi City Hall Momoshima Branch Office (旧尾道市役所百島支所庁舎) is a two-storey timber Western-style village office built in 1954 in the north-east of Momoshima, an island of Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 31, 2022 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records two storeys of timber with a sheet-metal roof and a building area of 251 square metres, renovated in 2019; registration number 34-0302, owned by the NPO Art Base Momoshima.
From Village Office to Art Base
According to the artist Yanagi Yukinori's project, the building was erected in 1954 as the office of Momoshima village in Numakuma District. In April 2021 it was converted into a guesthouse and event space, Former Branch Office: Art Base Momoshima, keeping its retro timber character.
On Momoshima, the art centre Art Base Momoshima opened in a closed junior high school in 2012, part of efforts to revive the island through art. The Former Onomichi City Hall Momoshima Branch Office is one of its venues and the island's only registered cultural property (Yanagi Yukinori's art projects).
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The Former Onomichi City Hall Momoshima Branch Office was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the ground-floor office with its counter recalls its original use.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a half-hipped roof, mortar walls with a washed-finish base, tall windows giving a Western look, and a louvre at the top of the front with a row of four windows on the upper floor.
Upstairs, the Former Onomichi City Hall Momoshima Branch Office has a large hall with gallery seating and a stage, spanned by king-post trusses (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The Former Onomichi City Hall Momoshima Branch Office is used as a guesthouse and event space, so follow the operator's guidance on access. The address is 1316-1 Go, Momoshima-cho, Onomichi City.
Boats of Bingo Shosen serve Momoshima from Onomichi Port (station pier), Tsuneishi Port on the Fukuyama side and Uta Port on Mukaishima; the island's gateway is Fukuda Port (Momoshima.net).
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1954, as the office of Momoshima village (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Yanagi Yukinori's art projects).
- How is it used today?
- As a guesthouse and event space since 2021 (Yanagi Yukinori's art projects).
- What does it look like?
- A half-hipped Western-style building with a louvre at the top of the front and four upper windows (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is upstairs?
- A large hall with gallery seating and a stage (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Former Onomichi City Hall Momoshima Branch Office registered?
- On October 31, 2022.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Onomichi City Hall Momoshima Branch Office (旧尾道市役所百島支所庁舎) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1316-1 Go, Momoshima-cho, Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2022/10/31 (Reiwa 4) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, sheet-metal roof, building area 251 square metres |
| Owner | NPO Art Base Momoshima |
| Public Access | Used as a guesthouse and event space |
References
- Former Onomichi City Hall Momoshima Branch Office (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014412
- Art Base Momoshima (Yanagi Yukinori Art Projects)
- https://yanagi-artbase.com/art-base-momoshima/
- Access (Momoshima.net)
- https://momoshima.net/access/
Last verified: 2026.10.11