Former 90th Bank Main Branch

A Bank Born in the Age of Modernization

The Ninetieth National Bank was established in Morioka in 1878, part of the wave of national banks founded across Japan in the early Meiji period to underpin the country's rapid industrialization. As the bank prospered, plans were drawn up for a new headquarters worthy of its growing role in regional commerce. Construction broke ground in 1908 and was completed in December 1910, and the building stood as a proud symbol of Morioka's emergence as a modern urban center.

The architect was Tsutomu Yokohama (横濱勉), a young man born in Morioka who had only recently graduated from the architecture department of Tokyo Imperial University. The Ninetieth Bank commission was an extraordinary opportunity for an early-career architect, and Yokohama responded with a building that quietly defied the conventions of the era. Significantly, Yokohama was an alumnus of Morioka Middle School — the very same institution attended by the poets Takuboku Ishikawa and Kenji Miyazawa — making the building a hidden link in the cultural fabric of the city.

Why It Was Designated an Important Cultural Property

On July 6, 2004, the Former Ninetieth Bank Head Office Main Building was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan by the national government. Its significance lies in its remarkably advanced architectural language for its time. While most Meiji-era bank buildings in Japan adhered to grandiose Western historicist styles — neoclassical temples of finance with imposing columns and high atrium banking halls — Yokohama's design took a quieter, more progressive path.

The exterior expresses the dignity expected of a bank through a Romanesque Revival vocabulary, with rounded arches and a mansard-style roof punctuated by dormer windows. The interior, however, is strikingly different: clean lines, restrained ornament, and a calm geometry that reflects the influence of the Vienna Secession (Sezession) movement. This pairing of a solid, reassuring exterior with a forward-looking, simplified interior is now recognized as an early forerunner of the Expressionist architecture that would emerge in Japan during the Taishō era. The building is an exceptional witness to how late-19th-century European architectural movements were absorbed and reinterpreted in Japan with remarkable speed, and it occupies an important place in the history of modern Japanese architecture.

The building is also notable for engineering refinements that reward a closer look — including the truss beams supporting the second-floor framing and the ingenious opening-and-closing mechanism of the second-floor ventilation grilles, both of which display considerable technical accomplishment.

Highlights and What to See

From the moment you approach the building, the harmony of its materials makes a strong impression. The walls are laid in fine red brickwork, while the corner stones and arches around the entrance and windows are dressed with cut granite quarried at Kawame, just outside Morioka. The asymmetrical façade, set off by a slate and copper-clad mansard roof and graceful dormer windows, gives the building a softer, more human silhouette than the rigidly symmetrical bank architecture typical of the period.

Around the Building: Exploring Historic Morioka

The Former Ninetieth Bank Head Office is located in one of the most rewarding walking districts in Tōhoku. Morioka was famously listed among The New York Times' "52 Places to Go in 2023," and a stroll through this neighborhood reveals why.

• Iwate Bank Red Brick Building (Iwate Ginkō Aka-Renga-Kan): Just a few minutes' walk away, this 1911 former Morioka Bank headquarters was designed by Kingo Tatsuno (architect of Tokyo Station) and is also an Important Cultural Property.
• Plaza Odette: A modern complex with tourist information, a bicycle rental service, and views of the Nakatsu River.
• Nakatsu River Promenade: A scenic walking path along the river, particularly beautiful in spring (cherry blossoms) and autumn (colored leaves).
• Morioka Castle Site Park (Iwate Park): The atmospheric stone foundations of the former Nanbu clan castle, a short walk uphill.
• Sakurayama Shrine: A historic shrine famed for the massive "Eboshi-iwa" rock at its precincts.
• Sakana-machi Shopping Street: A traditional shopping arcade with local crafts, sweets, and dining.
• Morioka Tegami-kan (Letter Museum): A small museum dedicated to letters by literary figures connected to the region.