An Art Deco Office Block at Kobe's Shinko Piers
The Shinko Boeki Kaikan (Former Shinko Sogokan) (新港貿易会館（旧新港相互館）) is an office building of 1930 in Shinkocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 28, 2011 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a four-storey reinforced-concrete building with a basement and a rooftop tower, covering 519 square metres; registration number 28-0530.
An Office Building in Scratch Tile
The Shinko Boeki Kaikan (formerly the Shinko Sogokan) is a four-storey reinforced-concrete office building with a basement in Kobe's Shinko district, covering 519 square metres (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Its walls are faced in scratch tile, and the entrance opens at the south-west corner onto a crossroads. Geometric figures and Art Deco ornament show a skilful use of new design (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design, an original office building that skilfully takes in new forms of ornament.
What to Look For
Look for the scratch-tile walls, the corner entrance on the crossroads and the Art Deco ornament (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is an office building, and no official information on access to the interior was found. It can be seen from the road.
Q&A
- When was the Shinko Boeki Kaikan built?
- In 1930 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What are its walls faced with?
- Scratch tile.
- Where is the entrance?
- At the south-west corner, on the crossroads.
- What was it called before?
- The Shinko Sogokan.
- When was the Shinko Boeki Kaikan (Former Shinko Sogokan) registered?
- On October 28, 2011 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Shinko Boeki Kaikan (Former Shinko Sogokan) (新港貿易会館（旧新港相互館）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 8-2 Shinkocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2011/10/28 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Four-storey reinforced concrete with basement and rooftop tower, 519 m² |
| Owner | Goto Kaisoten Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | No official visiting information |
References
- Shinko Boeki Kaikan (Former Shinko Sogokan) (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009053
Last verified: 2026.10.18