A timber office dressed as stone
The Konkokyo Tosha Central Building (金光教徒社中央棟, Konkōkyō Tosha Chūō-tō) is a two-storey timber office built in 1927 in Otani, Konkō-chō, Asakuchi City, Okayama Prefecture, as part of the Konkōkyō publishing house beside the faith's headquarters, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 27 October 2017.
Konkokyo Tosha, the publishing house of the Konkōkyō faith, occupies three buildings in an east-west row, and the central building was the last to be added, filling the gap between the west and east buildings.
The ground floor of the Konkokyo Tosha Central Building holds offices and a reception room, and the upper floor is now used for storage.
Why it was registered
The central building was registered as one that sets a model for design, the same criterion as the east building, while the west building was listed as a contributor to the historic landscape.
What the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls its unusual appearance comes down to disguise. The walls are rendered in mortar and painted to imitate stone masonry, and a tall parapet rises in front of the roof so the building reads as flat-topped. Behind it, the actual roof is a hipped Yosemune-zukuri roof covered in slate.
In the early Shōwa years, builders across Japan used timber framing and skilled plasterwork to borrow the look of concrete and stone. The Konkokyo Tosha Central Building applies that approach with unusual thoroughness to a small office.
What to look for
The building has a building area of 125 square metres and stands between its two neighbours, both clad in weatherboarding (Shitami-itabari). Only the central building shows a masonry-like face, and that contrast in materials is the easiest thing to spot from the street.
Look up at the front. The high parapet hides the slope of the roof and squares off the top of the building in a clean horizontal line. From an angle you may catch the hipped roof behind it, which shows how deliberately the facade was staged.
Up close, the painted joints give away the plasterer's hand. From a distance the Konkokyo Tosha Central Building passes for stone; near to, it is timber and mortar, and that double reading is its charm.
Visiting
The building is in use as offices and storage, and no announcement of interior opening was found. The exterior can be seen from around the plaza in front of the headquarters, together with the east and west buildings. As it is a working building, keep to viewing from outside and ask staff before photographing on the premises.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Konkokyo Tosha Central Building
- [ Kurashiki Bikan District & Korakuen Garden Tours ]
Q&A
- Can I visit the Konkokyo Tosha Central Building?
- No interior opening has been announced. The ground floor is used as offices and a reception room and the upper floor for storage. The exterior can be seen from around the plaza in front of the Konkōkyō headquarters, together with the east and west buildings.
- When was the Konkokyo Tosha Central Building built and registered?
- It was built in 1927 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) on 27 October 2017, under the criterion of setting a model for design.
- Why does the Konkokyo Tosha Central Building look like stone?
- Its timber walls are rendered in mortar and painted to imitate masonry, and a tall parapet hides the hipped roof so the building appears flat-roofed from the front.
- What is the parapet on the Konkokyo Tosha Central Building?
- A parapet is a wall rising above the edge of a roof. On the central building it is built tall across the front, hiding the hipped roof behind so the building appears flat-roofed.
- How does the Konkokyo Tosha Central Building differ from its neighbours?
- The east and west buildings are clad in weatherboarding, while the Konkokyo Tosha Central Building has mortar walls painted to look like stone. The central and east buildings were registered as models of design, the west building as a contributor to the historic landscape.
Basic Information
| Name | Konkokyo Tosha Central Building (金光教徒社中央棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | 325-3 Otani, Konkocho, Asakuchi City, Okayama Prefecture, and other plots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/10/27 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey timber building with slate roofing; building area 125 square metres |
| Owner | Konkokyo (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior only (visible from around the plaza in front of the headquarters; no interior opening announced) |
References
- Konkokyo Tosha Central Building | Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012039
- Konkokyo Tosha Central Building | Cultural Heritage Online
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/294720
- Recommendation for registration of the Konkokyo Tosha buildings | Asakuchi City
- https://www.city.asakuchi.lg.jp/page/2081.html
Last verified: 2026.09.24
