A Factory Office of 1931 on Reclaimed Land
The Showa Denko Kawasaki Factory Head Office (昭和電工川崎工場本事務所) is a two-storey reinforced-concrete factory office built in 1931 on reclaimed land at Ogimachi, Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 23, 1999 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a two-storey reinforced-concrete building with a building area of 765 square metres; registration number 14-0027, owned by Resonac.
Head Office of an Ammonia Works
According to the Kawasaki Ward "treasures" sheet, the Showa Denko Kawasaki Factory Head Office was built in 1931 as the head office of Showa Hiryo, the forerunner of Showa Denko. It was built by the Shimizu-gumi (now Shimizu Corporation); the designer is unknown.
The sheet says that Showa Hiryo was founded in 1928 and, in 1931, the year the office was completed, succeeded in synthesising ammonia with Japanese technology and machinery. In 1939 it merged with Nihon Denki Kogyo to form Showa Denko. Ogimachi itself was reclaimed land completed in 1928 by the Tokyo Bay Reclamation Company.
Why It Was Registered
The Showa Denko Kawasaki Factory Head Office was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it one of the representative factory office buildings of the Keihin industrial zone in the early Showa period.
According to the Kawasaki Ward sheet, it was the third Registered Tangible Cultural Property in Kawasaki City and the first in the city owned by a private company.
What to Look For
It has a flat roof, a low, flat carriage porch projecting at the centre of the front, and rows of tall windows, giving it a simple exterior (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Kawasaki Ward sheet notes that a stair hall opens just inside the entrance, and that its stained glass, handrails and bench decoration keep the look of the original Western-style building despite post-war repairs after air-raid damage.
Visiting
According to the Kawasaki Ward sheet, the Showa Denko Kawasaki Factory Head Office is still in use as the works office and, standing inside the factory grounds, is not open to the public.
The address is 28-1 Ogimachi, Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki City (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Q&A
- When was the Showa Denko Kawasaki Factory Head Office built?
- In 1931 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What was it built for?
- As the head office of Showa Hiryo, the forerunner of Showa Denko (Kawasaki Ward).
- What are its features?
- A flat-roofed two-storey concrete building with a low carriage porch at the centre and rows of tall windows (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I visit it?
- No, it is a working office inside the factory grounds and not open to the public (Kawasaki Ward).
- When was it registered?
- On August 23, 1999.
Basic Information
| Name | Showa Denko Kawasaki Factory Head Office (昭和電工川崎工場本事務所) |
|---|---|
| Location | 28-1 Ogimachi, Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1999/08/23 (Heisei 11) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, two storeys, building area 765 square metres |
| Owner | Resonac Inc. |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (inside factory grounds) |
References
- Showa Denko Kawasaki Factory Head Office (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001250
- Kawasaki Ward treasures sheet: Showa Denko Kawasaki works head office (Kawasaki City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.kawasaki.jp/250/cmsfiles/contents/0000002/2286/25-1.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.14