A Taisho Building in Central Iga-Ueno
The Ueno Cultural Center (上野文化センター) is a three-storey timber building put up in 1922 in the centre of Ueno-nakamachi, Iga City, Mie Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on December 1, 2003, under registration number 24-0048.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a three-storey timber building with a sheet-metal roof and a building area of 84 square metres. According to Iga City, it was first used as a warehouse, became a hobby and culture centre under the name Ueno Bunka Center in 1965, and is now used as a café.
Why It Was Registered
The Ueno Cultural Center was registered as contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency describes it as a three-storey timber commercial building in the centre of the former Ueno City (now Iga City) that conveys the prosperity of the town centre before the war.
Iga City likewise calls it a modern building of 1922 and a valuable reminder of prewar Ueno. Its passage from warehouse to culture centre to café is also part of its story.
What to Look For
On the outside, notice the change of finish. According to the Agency and Iga City, the ground floor is faced in granite, the upper floors are rendered in mortar, and the hipped roof is covered in sheet metal.
Rising three storeys on a building area of just 84 square metres, its tall, narrow form suits a commercial building on the limited land of a castle-town centre. Look up from the street to compare the stone ground floor with the rendered floors above.
Visiting
According to Iga City, the building is now used as a café. No official information was found on opening days or hours, so check before visiting. The exterior can be seen from the street. The address is 3024 Ueno-nakamachi, Iga City.
Q&A
- When was the Ueno Cultural Center built?
- In 1922.
- When was it registered as a cultural property?
- On December 1, 2003, as registration number 24-0048.
- What was the building originally?
- A warehouse; from 1965 it served as a hobby and culture centre.
- What does the exterior look like?
- A granite-faced ground floor, mortar-rendered upper floors and a hipped sheet-metal roof.
- Can I visit the Ueno Cultural Center?
- It is now used as a café, and the exterior can be seen from the street.
Basic Information
| Name | Ueno Cultural Center (上野文化センター) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3024 Ueno-nakamachi, Iga City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/12/1 (Heisei 15), registration no. 24-0048 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 3 storeys, sheet-metal roof, building area 84 square metres |
| Owner | Not recorded |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street (now used as a café) |
References
- 上野文化センター (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003677
- Ueno Cultural Center (Iga City Digital Museum)
- https://adeac.jp/iga-city/texthtml/d400010/mp000000-100040/ht404510
Last verified: 2026.10.04