A Domed Bank Now a Prefectural Museum
The Former Yokohama Specie Bank Head Office Main Building (旧横浜正金銀行本店本館) is a leading Western-style bank building of the 1900s of 1904 in Minaminakadori, Naka Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on March 12, 1969 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a three-storey brick and stone building with a basement and a building area of 1,998.3 square metres; designation number 01703.
A Restored Dome
The former head office of the Yokohama Specie Bank is a three-storey stone bank begun in 1900 and completed in 1904 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Now owned by Kanagawa Prefecture, it serves as the prefectural museum after the dome damaged in the Great Kanto Earthquake was restored and parts were extended and altered (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency calls it a leading Western-style building of the 1900s whose well-preserved exterior is of fine design.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency describes it as a leading Western-style building of the 1900s with a well-preserved exterior of fine design.
What to Look For
Look for the restored dome and the well-preserved stone exterior (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Kanagawa Prefecture and houses the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the Yokohama Convention and Visitors Bureau, it is open from 9:30 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30) and closed on Mondays (open on public holidays) and over the New Year; it is 1 minute on foot from Bashamichi Station on the Minatomirai Line.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- Begun in 1900, completed in 1904.
- How is it used now?
- As the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History.
- Is the dome original?
- It was restored after the 1923 earthquake.
- What is the nearest station?
- Bashamichi, a minute away on foot.
- When was the Former Yokohama Specie Bank Head Office Main Building designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On March 12, 1969 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Yokohama Specie Bank Head Office Main Building (旧横浜正金銀行本店本館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 5-60 Minaminakadori, Naka Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1969/03/12 (Showa 44) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Brick and stone, 1,998.3 m², three storeys and basement |
| Owner | Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Public Access | 1 minute on foot from Bashamichi Station on the Minatomirai Line (Yokohama Convention and Visitors Bureau) |
References
- Former Yokohama Specie Bank Head Office Main Building (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/587
- Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History (Yokohama Convention and Visitors Bureau, in Japanese)
- https://www.welcome.city.yokohama.jp/spot/details.php?bbid=61
Last verified: 2026.10.26