Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Hyogo

Former Hiraga Family Residence Laboratory Building

Hiraga Laboratory Building: A Chemist's 1918 Lab beside His Home

The 1918 laboratory of chemist Hiraga Yoshimi at the Kawanishi City Local Museum, a 2-storey building linked to his English-style house by a stepped bridge.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Hyogo

About the Former Hiraga Family Residence Laboratory Building

The Former Hiraga Family Residence Laboratory Building (旧平賀家住宅実験研究棟, Kyū Hiraga-ke Jūtaku Jikken Kenkyūtō) is a 2-storey timber building of 1918 at the Kawanishi City Local Museum in Gezaicho, Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on May 7, 1997. It housed the laboratory of the chemist Dr. Hiraga Yoshimi, beside his home.

It has a slate roof and a building area of 32 m², and was moved from Obe in Kawanishi to the museum grounds together with the main house. A private laboratory built on a residential plot, surviving as a registered cultural property, makes the Hiraga Family Residence Laboratory Building a rare thing.

An Upper Floor Reached by a Stepped Bridge

The upper floor of the Laboratory Building is linked to the main house by a stepped bridge, a feature the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out. The chemist could cross from his home to his laboratory without going down to the ground.

The main house has one storey, the laboratory two, and the bridge climbs in steps to join buildings of different heights. Stand beside the Former Hiraga Family Residence Laboratory Building and you can follow the passage rising at an angle from the house.

Matching the House in Form, Contrasting in Colour

The Laboratory Building is plainer than the main house, yet the Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that its facade and other elements are consistent with the house, a sign that the workplace was designed to the same ideas as the home.

Its colouring, on the other hand, contrasts with the main house. Matching the form while changing the colour marks the difference between living space and workplace. Look at the two side by side and compare the colours of the walls and window surrounds.

Why It Was Registered

The Former Hiraga Family Residence Laboratory Building was registered as a structure that serves as a model of design, under number 28-0020, on May 7, 1997, after the main house (registered 1996) and together with 14 Hirayasu structures.

Its unusual purpose, a laboratory attached to a chemist's home, and its planning as one with the main house give this small building its value. Hiraga Yoshimi's work is written into the form of the building itself.

Visiting the Former Hiraga Family Residence Laboratory Building

The Former Hiraga Family Residence Laboratory Building is part of the Hiraga house at the Kawanishi City Local Museum, and its exterior can be seen with the main house. Official sources do not say whether the interior is open (checked October 2026).

The bridge is easiest to make out from between the two buildings, looking up. Ask at reception about photography. Opening days, admission and directions are on the Kawanishi City Local Museum page.

📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo: Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Hiraga Family Residence Laboratory Building; [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]

Q&A

QWhat was the Former Hiraga Family Residence Laboratory Building used for?: AIt housed the laboratory of its owner, the chemist Dr. Hiraga Yoshimi.

QHow is the Former Hiraga Family Residence Laboratory Building connected to the main house?: AIts upper floor is linked to the main house by a stepped bridge.

QWhat does the Former Hiraga Family Residence Laboratory Building look like?: AIt is plainer than the main house but consistent with it in facade design, while its colouring contrasts with the house.

QWhen was the Former Hiraga Family Residence Laboratory Building registered?: AOn May 7, 1997, under registration number 28-0020.

QCan I go inside the Former Hiraga Family Residence Laboratory Building?: AOfficial sources do not say whether the interior is open; the exterior can be seen within the Kawanishi City Local Museum grounds (checked October 2026).

Basic Information

Name	Former Hiraga Family Residence Laboratory Building
Location	4-1 Gezaicho, Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure)
Year Designated	1997 (registered)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Building area 32 m² (2-storey timber, slate roof)
Owner	Kawanishi City
Public Access	Open (Kawanishi City Local Museum, admission 300 yen)