About the Former Handayama Reservoir Office
The Former Handayama Reservoir Office (半田山配水地旧事務所) is a single-storey timber office built in 1905 on Mount Handa in Hokaiin, Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on February 9, 2005. It stands below the No. 1 reservoir to the east, facing roughly south (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 38 square metres; registration number 33-0099, owned by Okayama City. The Handayama Distribution Reservoirs were built as part of Okayama City's original waterworks, founded in 1905 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Former Handayama Reservoir Office was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. Where the reservoirs and meter houses are the waterworks themselves, this was the base for the staff who ran the site, and it completes the picture of the original installation.
What to Look For
The Former Handayama Reservoir Office is 5 bays by 2, hipped (Yosemune-zukuri), with its entrance on the long side; the lower walls are vertical boarding and the upper walls clapboard (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Its large openings give it an airy feel.
Decorative yoraku pendants run around the eaves, and the underfloor ventilation openings are fitted with metal grilles based on the Okayama City crest (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The grilles are easy to miss, so look low along the base of the walls.
Visiting the Former Handayama Reservoir Office
The Former Handayama Reservoir Office stands within the Okayama City Handayama Botanical Garden and is open for exterior viewing only (Okayama Prefecture). Garden admission is required; hours and directions are on the Handayama Distribution Reservoirs page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Handayama Reservoir Office
- [ Kurashiki Bikan District & Korakuen Garden Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Former Handayama Reservoir Office built?
- In 1905.
- What does the Former Handayama Reservoir Office look like?
- A 5-by-2-bay hipped timber building with vertical boarding below clapboard and large openings (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Former Handayama Reservoir Office registered?
- On February 9, 2005.
- What detail is easy to miss at the former office?
- The underfloor vent grilles based on the Okayama City crest (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can you visit the Former Handayama Reservoir Office?
- Yes, from outside, within the Handayama Botanical Garden; garden admission is required (Okayama Prefecture).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Handayama Reservoir Office (半田山配水地旧事務所) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-1 Hokaiin, Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005/2/9 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | A single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 38 square metres |
| Owner | Okayama City |
| Public Access | Exterior only (inside the Handayama Botanical Garden; admission charged) |
References
- Former Handayama Reservoir Office (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00004634
- Handayama Distribution Reservoirs (Okayama Prefecture cultural properties)
- https://www.pref.okayama.jp/uploaded/attachment/260977.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.06
