A Reception Wing from a Governor's Residence
The Former Iwate Prefectural Governor's Official Residence Western-Style Building, in Japanese 旧岩手県知事公舎洋館, is a single-storey timber Western-style building of about 1909 in Mikajiri, Kanegasaki Town, Iwate Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 27, 2018 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 56 square metres; its registration number is 03-103. It was built as the reception section of the Western-style wing of the official residence of the governor of Iwate Prefecture (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
It now stands in the grounds of the town-run Chida Tadashi Memorial Hall, alongside the registered main house and storehouse of the former Chida family residence (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Internet Museum).
From the Governor's Residence to Kanegasaki
The Agency records that the Former Iwate Prefectural Governor's Official Residence Western-Style Building was moved twice, in 1971 and in 1994. This reception section of the residence's Western-style wing went first to the town and later to its present site.
At 56 square metres the building is small, yet it holds the full sequence of entrance, hall, reception room and anteroom used to receive the governor's guests (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the Former Iwate Prefectural Governor's Official Residence Western-Style Building as a model of design. Behind the entrance is a hall leading to a reception room and an anteroom. The hipped roof is covered with pantiles and the walls are weatherboarded (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The detail the Agency singles out is the reception-room ceiling, where the boards radiate from a central ornament, a design it considers fitting for a governor's residence (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
What to Look For
From outside, this is a small single-storey Western-style building with a hipped tile roof and weatherboard walls. Look at the roof shape and the window arrangement, and picture the sequence of entrance, hall and reception room behind them.
If you can go inside, look up in the reception room: the ceiling boards fanning out from the central ornament mark it as the formal parlour of a Meiji-era official residence (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The Former Iwate Prefectural Governor's Official Residence Western-Style Building stands in the grounds of the Chida Tadashi Memorial Hall and can be seen on the hall's opening days. According to Internet Museum, admission is free and the hall opens from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (checked November 2026).
The hall opens only from spring to autumn, and listings differ on the months and days. No official information was found on how much of the interior is open or whether photography is allowed, so contact the hall before visiting.
Q&A
- Where is the Former Iwate Prefectural Governor's Official Residence Western-Style Building?
- In the grounds of the Chida Tadashi Memorial Hall in Mikajiri, Kanegasaki Town, Iwate Prefecture (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Former Iwate Prefectural Governor's Official Residence Western-Style Building built?
- In about 1909, as the reception section of the Western-style wing of the Iwate governor's official residence (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the governor's residence building moved to Kanegasaki?
- The Agency records moves in 1971 and 1994.
- What should I look for in the Former Iwate Prefectural Governor's Official Residence Western-Style Building?
- The reception-room ceiling, with boards radiating from a central ornament (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Former Iwate Prefectural Governor's Official Residence Western-Style Building registered?
- On March 27, 2018 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Iwate Prefectural Governor's Official Residence Western-Style Building (旧岩手県知事公舎洋館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 98 Mikajiri Yachinaka, Kanegasaki Town, Isawa District, Iwate Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/03/27 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, building area 56 m² |
| Owner | Kanegasaki Town |
| Public Access | Open on Chida Tadashi Memorial Hall opening days (free) |
References
- Former Iwate Prefectural Governor's Official Residence Western-Style Building (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012083
- Former Iwate Prefectural Governor's Official Residence Western-Style Building (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/417202
- Chida Tadashi Memorial Hall (Internet Museum, Japanese)
- https://www.museum.or.jp/museum/657
Last verified: 2026.11.12
