About the Handayama Extension Meter House
The Handayama Extension Meter House (半田山配水地増設量水室) is a hexagonal reinforced-concrete meter house built in 1939 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 was added during the third extension of the waterworks, just west of the original meter house (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a single-storey reinforced-concrete building with a building area of 6.6 square metres; registration number 33-0098, 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 Handayama Extension Meter House was registered as a building that has become a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, though somewhat simplified, it carefully follows the design of the original meter house, re-creating the same form 34 years later in a different structural material.
What to Look For
The Handayama Extension Meter House is built of reinforced concrete, but its walls are faced with tiles made to look like brick laid in header bond, and its window frames and pilasters are finished in washed mortar (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Compare it with the 1905 original meter house next door: real brick has become tile, and stone frames have become washed mortar. The two hexagons side by side trace the growth of the waterworks.
Visiting the Handayama Extension Meter House
The Handayama Extension Meter House 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 Handayama Extension Meter House
- [ Kurashiki Bikan District & Korakuen Garden Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Handayama Extension Meter House built?
- In 1939, during the third extension of the waterworks.
- What is the Handayama Extension Meter House made of?
- Reinforced concrete, faced with tiles imitating header-bond brick (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Handayama Extension Meter House registered?
- On February 9, 2005.
- How is it related to the original meter house?
- It stands just west of the 1905 meter house and follows its design in simplified form (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can you visit the Handayama Extension Meter House?
- Yes, from outside, within the Handayama Botanical Garden; garden admission is required (Okayama Prefecture).
Basic Information
| Name | Handayama Extension Meter House (半田山配水地増設量水室) |
|---|---|
| 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 reinforced-concrete building with a building area of 6.6 square metres |
| Owner | Okayama City |
| Public Access | Exterior only (inside the Handayama Botanical Garden; admission charged) |
References
- Handayama Extension Meter House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00004633
- Handayama Distribution Reservoirs (Okayama Prefecture cultural properties)
- https://www.pref.okayama.jp/uploaded/attachment/260977.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.06
