A Taisho Clinic Rebuilt to Resist Fire
The Ichiki Dental Clinic (一木歯科医院, Ichiki Shika Iin) is a two-storey timber dental clinic built in 1922 in Ko, Chikusei City, Ibaraki Prefecture, which in 1999 was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a sheet-metal roof and a building area of 30 square metres. It was registered as a building that would not be easy to reproduce.
Chikusei City notes that it is still in use as a dental clinic. The walls and roof have been repaired and the interior altered, but its original character remains.
Why It Was Built This Way
According to the Agency, the clinic was rebuilt after a fire spread from a neighbouring house in 1921, and the new building was designed with fire in mind.
Chikusei City explains that although it looks Western, the posts and beams are timber, and apart from the treatment room, the waiting room and the two upstairs rooms are Japanese-style tatami rooms.
Why It Matters: Wire-Mesh Concrete over Timber
The fire protection came from a wire-mesh concrete finish. Chikusei City describes it as metal mesh stretched over the timber frame and covered with a thick coat of concrete, a method used on very few surviving buildings anywhere in Japan.
The Agency values the Ichiki Dental Clinic as one of the rare surviving examples of timber construction finished in wire-mesh concrete.
What to Look For
The Agency describes the exterior as a simple composition of sash windows set out on the walls, yet so well proportioned that it has an almost classical dignity.
From the street, follow the placing of the sash windows and the overall proportions of the block. With no ornament, the Western character comes from the rhythm of the windows and the solidity of the walls.
Visiting the Ichiki Dental Clinic
The Ichiki Dental Clinic is a working clinic, so the interior cannot be visited. The exterior can be seen from the street, with consideration for patients and neighbours. Questions about the cultural property can be sent to Chikusei City.
Q&A
- When was the Ichiki Dental Clinic built?
- It was rebuilt in 1922 after a fire spread from a neighbouring house in 1921.
- What is wire-mesh concrete finish?
- Metal mesh fixed over a timber frame and covered with a thick coat of concrete, used here for fire protection.
- Is the Ichiki Dental Clinic still a dental clinic?
- Yes, according to Chikusei City it is still in use.
- Can I go inside the Ichiki Dental Clinic?
- No; it is a working clinic. The exterior can be seen from the street.
- When was the Ichiki Dental Clinic registered?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 23 August 1999.
Basic Information
| Name | Ichiki Dental Clinic (一木歯科医院) |
|---|---|
| Location | 12 Ko, Chikusei City, Ibaraki Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1999/8/23 (Heisei 11) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber with wire-mesh concrete finish, sheet-metal roof, building area 30 square metres |
| Owner | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Working dental clinic; interior closed |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Ichiki Dental Clinic (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001239
- Cultural Heritage Online: Ichiki Dental Clinic (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/192239
- Chikusei City: Ichiki Dental Clinic (Japanese)
- https://www.city.chikusei.lg.jp/kyouiku-bunka-sports/bunkazai/nationally-registered/page000273.html
Last verified: 2026.09.27