A Western-Style Clinic in Aburatsu
The Former Toyama Clinic (旧外山医院) is a two-storey wooden clinic of the early Showa period in Aburatsu 1-chome, Nichinan City, Miyazaki Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 27, 2006. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes it as one of the few buildings in the city with a Western-style design.
The Agency records it as a two-storey wooden building with a tiled roof and a building area of 73 square metres; registration number 45-0036, with no owner listed. A Nichinan City planning document lists it as privately owned.
Why It Was Registered
The Former Toyama Clinic was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. In its town-planning document for Aburatsu, Nichinan City lists it among the district's registered buildings, alongside the Suzuki Ryokan and the Watanabe Family Residence, and calls it valuable as one of the few Western-style buildings in the city.
What to Look For
The Former Toyama Clinic stands on a corner plot, five and a half bays by four, with a hipped (Yosemune-zukuri) pantile roof. The walls were rendered in mortar and are now clad in sheet metal (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Tall narrow windows run along both floors, and the entrance is on the north. Inside, the ground floor is entirely Western-style rooms, with four Japanese rooms upstairs (Agency for Cultural Affairs). From outside, the rows of tall windows give it its Western character.
Visiting the Former Toyama Clinic
Nichinan City lists the Former Toyama Clinic as privately owned and not open to the public. Please view it only from the street. The address is 1-9-1 Aburatsu, Nichinan City.
Q&A
- When was the Former Toyama Clinic built?
- In the early Showa period (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What does the Former Toyama Clinic look like?
- A two-storey hipped wooden building with tall windows on both floors, Western rooms downstairs and four Japanese rooms upstairs (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Former Toyama Clinic registered?
- On March 27, 2006.
- Why is the Former Toyama Clinic valued?
- It is one of the few Western-style buildings in Nichinan (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Nichinan City).
- Can you visit the Former Toyama Clinic?
- It is privately owned and not open (Nichinan City); view it from the street.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Toyama Clinic (旧外山医院) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-9-1 Aburatsu, Nichinan City, Miyazaki Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/3/27 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 73 square metres |
| Owner | Private (not listed in the national record) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (Nichinan City) |
References
- Former Toyama Clinic (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005527
- Aburatsu district town-planning document (Nichinan City)
- https://www.city.nichinan.lg.jp/material/files/group/8/aburatsumachizukuriplan_20240329.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.06