An Early Large Brick Building of Southern Kyushu
The Former Sogi Power Station Main Building (旧曽木発電所本館) is the brick main building of a hydroelectric station built in 1909 at Oguchi, Isa City, Kagoshima Prefecture, which in 2006 was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a brick structure with an area of 652 square metres, owned by the national government and registered as a model of design.
The Agency calls it one of the earliest large brick buildings in southern Kyushu.
Structure
According to the Agency, it consists of a generator hall and an office wing at right angles, in the south of the city.
The walls are laid in English bond and pierced by closely set openings with segmental arches. The gables have round windows and stepped cornices for variety.
What to Look For
When the reservoir falls, the brick walls with their rows of segmental-arched openings and the round-windowed gables rise from the water.
The dam office notes that after sinking in 1966 the building was reinforced with steel and its brickwork repaired between 2004 and 2010.
Visiting the Former Sogi Power Station Main Building
The building is normally viewed from the park on the opposite bank.
Visiting information and the story of preservation are on the Former Sogi Power Station group page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kagoshima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Sogi Power Station Main Building
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Q&A
- When was the main building built?
- In 1909.
- How is it arranged?
- A generator hall with an office wing at right angles.
- What does it look like?
- English-bond brick with closely set segmental arches and round gable windows.
- Why is it important?
- It is one of the earliest large brick buildings in southern Kyushu.
- When can I see it?
- In the dry season from May to September, from the park across the lake.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Sogi Power Station Main Building (旧曽木発電所本館) |
|---|---|
| Location | Miyato, Oguchi, Isa City, Kagoshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/3/2 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Brick, area 652 square metres |
| Owner | National government (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) |
| Public Access | Viewed from the park across the lake |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Former Sogi Power Station Main Building (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005389
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Sogi Power Station Main Building (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/118467
- MLIT Tsuruda Dam Management Office: Sogi Power Station Ruins (Japanese)
- https://www.qsr.mlit.go.jp/turuta/go/sogi.html
Last verified: 2026.09.28
