The Dining Hall Beside the Dormitory
The Ae Handkerchief Former Dining Hall (阿江ハンカチーフ旧食堂, Ae Hankachīfu Kyū Shokudō) is a single-storey timber dining hall of about 1955 at 593-3 Yasui, Shimotakino, Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture, and others, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 28, 2017. It has a tiled roof and a building area of 66 square meters.
The Ae Handkerchief Former Dining Hall stands northwest of the former dormitory, with its long axis running east to west, at right angles to the north-south dormitory. Between them, the two buildings housed and fed the mill's workers.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it, together with the dormitory, as a place that offers a glimpse of how people in the textile industry lived.
How the Dining Hall Is Built
The Ae Handkerchief Former Dining Hall was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape.
It measures 11 by 6 meters under a gabled roof of pantiles. The walls are clad in painted overlapping weatherboards.
The Agency notes that the interior has since been remodelled, while the exterior, roof tiles included, survives well. Its registration rests mainly on how it looks from outside.
What to Look For at the Former Dining Hall
Start with the painted weatherboarding. The dormitory next door is finished in mortar, so two buildings of the same years are wrapped in quite different materials.
Look at the roof tiles too. With the interior altered, they are the part of the exterior the Agency singles out.
Finally, notice the right angle between the two buildings: the north-south dormitory and the east-west Ae Handkerchief Former Dining Hall frame a small domestic corner of the works.
Visiting the Ae Handkerchief Former Dining Hall
The Ae Handkerchief Former Dining Hall stands on the western plot, northwest of the former dormitory. How much of it can be seen from the road has not been confirmed, and the interior has been remodelled. Ae Handkerchief is a working textile company, and no interior viewing of this building is advertised.
Please stay off the premises and view what you can from the road. Visiting conditions and directions are on the Ae Handkerchief page.
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Q&A
- What is the Ae Handkerchief Former Dining Hall?
- It is a single-storey timber dining hall of about 1955 where the mill's workers took their meals. Its building area is 66 square meters.
- When was the Ae Handkerchief Former Dining Hall registered?
- It became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 28, 2017, as No. 28-0670.
- How is the Ae Handkerchief Former Dining Hall built?
- It measures 11 by 6 meters, with a gabled pantile roof and painted weatherboard walls.
- Is the interior of the Ae Handkerchief Former Dining Hall original?
- No. According to the Agency, the interior has been remodelled; the exterior, including the roof tiles, survives well.
- Can visitors see the Ae Handkerchief Former Dining Hall?
- It belongs to an operating company and no interior viewing is advertised. How well it can be seen from the road has not been confirmed. To ask about a visit, contact Ae Handkerchief Co., Ltd. or the Kato City Board of Education's cultural properties section in advance.
Basic Information
| Name | Ae Handkerchief Former Dining Hall (阿江ハンカチーフ旧食堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 593-3 Yasui, Shimotakino, Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture, and others |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), No. 28-0670 |
| Year Designated | Registered June 28, 2017 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 66 square meters (11 by 6 meters) |
| Owner | Ae Handkerchief Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Owned by an operating company; Kato City lists it as open but gives no dates or visiting method |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 阿江ハンカチーフ旧食堂
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011783
- Cultural Heritage Online: 阿江ハンカチーフ旧食堂
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/300809
- Kato City: 阿江ハンカチーフ旧食堂 (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kato.lg.jp/kakukanogoannai/kyouikushinkoubu/shogaigakushuka/bunkazai/siteibunkazai/tourokuyuukeibunkazai/1545471985070.html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
