Where the Mill Workers Lived
The Ae Handkerchief Former Dormitory (阿江ハンカチーフ旧寄宿舎, Ae Hankachīfu Kyū Kishukusha) is a two-storey timber dormitory 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 143 square meters.
The Ae Handkerchief Former Dormitory stands north of Cloth Inspection Shed No. 2, its long axis running north to south. The dining hall of the same period stands to its northwest, and together the two buildings housed and fed the people who worked at the mill.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a building that shows how the textile workers lived. Of the six registered Ae Handkerchief buildings, only the dormitory and the product warehouse have two storeys.
How the Dormitory Is Built
The Ae Handkerchief Former Dormitory was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape.
It is 22 meters long and 5 meters wide, two storeys high under a gabled roof. The entrance is in the middle of the west side and is framed by round columns.
Inside, each floor has four rooms of 10 tatami mats in a row: eight rooms, 80 mats in all. The outer walls are finished in mortar, a timber frame wrapped in a rendered skin.
What to Look For at the Former Dormitory
The round columns at the west entrance are the first thing to find. On an otherwise plain mortar front, the entrance alone is given a little ceremony.
Then take in the simplicity of the plan: a narrow block 5 meters wide with identical 10-mat rooms stacked four above four. No record says how many workers shared a room, but the count and size of the rooms give a sense of the dormitory's scale.
Seen together with the dining hall just to the northwest, the Ae Handkerchief Former Dormitory makes its purpose plain: sleeping and eating gathered in one corner of the works.
Visiting the Ae Handkerchief Former Dormitory
The Ae Handkerchief Former Dormitory stands on the western plot, north of Cloth Inspection Shed No. 2, and how much of it can be seen from the road has not been confirmed. 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 Dormitory?
- It is a two-storey timber dormitory of about 1955 where the mill's workers lived. Its building area is 143 square meters.
- When was the Ae Handkerchief Former Dormitory registered?
- It became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 28, 2017, as No. 28-0669.
- How is the Ae Handkerchief Former Dormitory laid out?
- It is 22 by 5 meters over two storeys, with four 10-tatami rooms in a row on each floor. The entrance is in the middle of the west side.
- What does the outside of the Ae Handkerchief Former Dormitory look like?
- It has a gabled roof and mortar-finished walls, with round columns at the entrance.
- Can visitors see the Ae Handkerchief Former Dormitory?
- 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 Dormitory (阿江ハンカチーフ旧寄宿舎) |
|---|---|
| Location | 593-3 Yasui, Shimotakino, Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture, and others |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), No. 28-0669 |
| Year Designated | Registered June 28, 2017 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 143 square meters (22 by 5 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寄宿舎
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011782
- Cultural Heritage Online: 阿江ハンカチーフ旧寄宿舎
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/245578
- Kato City: 阿江ハンカチーフ旧寄宿舎 (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kato.lg.jp/kakukanogoannai/kyouikushinkoubu/shogaigakushuka/bunkazai/siteibunkazai/tourokuyuukeibunkazai/1545471842819.html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
