A Target for Calibrating the Telescope
The Former Temporary Latitude Observatory Zenith Telescope Target Pier and Shelter (旧臨時緯度観測所眼視天頂儀目標台及び覆屋) is a target pier and shelter for calibrating the zenith telescope of 1900 in Mizusawa Hoshigaokacho, Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 27, 2017 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber shelter with a sheet-iron roof and a building area of 3.3 square metres over a brick target pier, altered in 1960; registration number 03-101.
A Brick Pier under a Timber Shelter
The target pier and shelter stand about 100 metres north of the zenith telescope room (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Built to calibrate the telescope, they consist of a brick target pier and a single-storey clapboarded timber shelter with a gabled sheet-iron roof.
The pier and the shelter are structurally separate and do not touch (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes that it is one of few surviving facilities in Japan for calibrating a zenith telescope, and registered it as a structure that would not be easy to reproduce.
What to Look For
Look for the brick pier and the shelter built clear of it (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official visiting information was found. The three structures are covered together on the Former Temporary Latitude Observatory group page.
Q&A
- When was the Target Pier and Shelter built?
- In 1900, with alterations in 1960 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What was it for?
- Calibrating the zenith telescope.
- Where is it?
- About 100 metres north of the telescope room.
- What is notable about its structure?
- The brick pier and the timber shelter are kept separate.
- When was the Former Temporary Latitude Observatory Zenith Telescope Target Pier and Shelter registered?
- On October 27, 2017 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Temporary Latitude Observatory Zenith Telescope Target Pier and Shelter (旧臨時緯度観測所眼視天頂儀目標台及び覆屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-1 Mizusawa Hoshigaokacho, Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/10/27 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Shelter: timber, sheet-iron roof, 3.3 m²; pier: brick |
| Owner | National Institutes of Natural Sciences |
| Public Access | No official visiting information |
References
- Former Temporary Latitude Observatory Zenith Telescope Target Pier and Shelter (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011843
Last verified: 2026.10.20
