A 1928 Photo Studio with a Moustache Window
The Tanaka Photo Studio (田中写真館) is a timber photo studio of 1928, three storeys above ground and one below, in Kisa-cho, Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 12, 1997. It was designed and built by the local master carpenter Yoshikawa Soichi (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as timber, three storeys and a basement, with a building area of 98 square metres; registration number 34-0014, with no owner listed.
Why It Was Registered
The Tanaka Photo Studio was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it was talked about from the moment it was finished and remains widely loved.
A photo studio in which a country builder freely adopted Western motifs, it stands out in the townscape (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
What to Look For
The Tanaka Photo Studio is a three-storey timber studio whose entrance has a gently curved roof carried on round columns with decorated capitals (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
In the pediment above the front is a pair of windows shaped after a Kaiser moustache, one of several unusual features (Agency for Cultural Affairs), giving the front a friendly face.
Visiting the Tanaka Photo Studio
We found no official information on interior access to the Tanaka Photo Studio. Please view it from the street. The address is 190 Suemasa, Kisa, Kisa-cho, Miyoshi City.
Q&A
- When was the Tanaka Photo Studio built?
- In 1928 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Who designed the Tanaka Photo Studio?
- The local master carpenter Yoshikawa Soichi, who also built it (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is distinctive about the Tanaka Photo Studio?
- A columned porch under a curved roof and moustache-shaped windows in the pediment (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can you visit the Tanaka Photo Studio?
- There is no official information on interior access; view it from the street.
- When was the Tanaka Photo Studio registered?
- On December 12, 1997.
Basic Information
| Name | Tanaka Photo Studio (田中写真館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 190 Suemasa, Kisa, Kisa-cho, Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1997/12/12 (Heisei 9) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 3 storeys above ground and 1 below, building area 98 square metres |
| Owner | Not listed in the national record |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable from the street (no official information on interior access) |
References
- Tanaka Photo Studio (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000418
Last verified: 2026.10.08