Amikan Head Office

About the Amikan Head Office

The Amikan Head Office is the headquarters of Amikan Co., Ltd., a fishing-net maker founded in 1794, facing the old Tokaido road at Tomidahama-motomachi, Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture. Its early Showa-period office, main gate and brick wall were registered together as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (structures) on September 10, 2010 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The registration numbers are 24-0092 for the office, 24-0093 for the main gate and 24-0094 for the brick wall, all owned by Amikan Co., Ltd. (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

A Fishing-Net Company

According to Yokkaichi City, Amikan was founded in 1794 and in 1898 developed Japan's first hand-operated net-making machine, going on to manufacture and sell fishing nets industrially. The office, main gate and brick wall were built together at the beginning of the Showa period (Yokkaichi City).

The Three Registered Structures

All three were registered on September 10, 2010, as structures contributing to the historic landscape of the country (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The office is a two-storey building of timber-framed concrete with a rooftop tower and a building area of 100 square metres. Its southwest corner is a quarter circle, the walls are faced in scratch tile and washed mortar, and tall windows run in rows (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The main gate stands set back near the middle of the west side, with concrete gateposts 3.1 metres high and domed tops. The brick wall runs from both sides of the gate, turning at the corners, for a total of 46 metres, with pilasters every 2.2 metres (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Visiting

The three structures belong to the working head office of Amikan Co., Ltd., and no public opening has been announced. They can be seen from the old Tokaido road; please do not disturb the business.

The address is 1867 Tomidahama-motomachi, Yokkaichi City. Each structure is described in its own article.