A Community Hall in Memory of Goto Shinpei
The Count Goto Memorial Community Hall (後藤伯記念公民館) is a community hall of 1941 in Mizusawa Otemachi, Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 5, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 947 square metres, extended in 1957 and altered in 1987; registration number 03-0110.
A Hall Built in Gratitude to Goto Shinpei
According to Iwate Prefecture, the hall was built in 1941 by Shoriki Matsutaro, former president of the Yomiuri newspaper, in gratitude to Goto Shinpei, and is regarded as the first community hall in Japan. Goto, a native of what is now Oshu, was a doctor, official and politician who led the rebuilding of Tokyo after the Great Kanto Earthquake as Home Minister and head of the reconstruction agency.
The hall stands at the centre of the former castle town of Mizusawa. A main building running north to south on the west of the site is linked by an inverted L-shaped wing to a judo and kendo hall to the south-east (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes the great gable at the south end of the main building, its gable wall decorated in half-timber style, the gabled carriage porch projecting in front, and the dignified layering of large and small gables; it was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the large half-timbered gable and the gabled carriage porch at the front (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is a community hall owned by Oshu City (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on use or visits was found.
Q&A
- When was the hall built?
- In 1941 (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Iwate Prefecture).
- Who built it?
- Shoriki Matsutaro, in gratitude to Goto Shinpei (Iwate Prefecture).
- What should I look for?
- The half-timbered gable and the layered gable roofs.
- Where is it?
- In Mizusawa Otemachi, Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture, in the old castle town.
- When was the Count Goto Memorial Community Hall registered?
- On December 5, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Count Goto Memorial Community Hall (後藤伯記念公民館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4-1 Mizusawa Otemachi, Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2019/12/05 (Reiwa 1) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, tiled roof, 947 m² |
| Owner | Oshu City |
| Public Access | Community hall (no visiting information) |
References
- Count Goto Memorial Community Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013017
- Japan's first community hall (Iwate Prefecture lifelong learning centre newsletter, Japanese)
- https://manabinet.pref.iwate.jp/contents/center/center_letter/010603.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.20