The newspaper office that started the row
The Konkokyo Tosha West Building (金光教徒社西棟, Konkōkyō Tosha Nishi-tō) is a two-storey Western-style timber building erected in 1916 as the office of the Konkōkyō newspaper company in Otani, Konkō-chō, Asakuchi City, Okayama Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 27 October 2017.
Konkokyo Tosha, the publishing house of the Konkōkyō faith, has its offices in an east-west row of three buildings beside the headquarters, and the Konkokyo Tosha West Building is the oldest of them. It was extended in 1943.
Why it was registered
It was registered as a contributor to the historic landscape. Unlike the east and central buildings, which were listed as models of design, its value lies in the part it plays in the townscape.
Otani grew as the gate town of the Konkōkyō headquarters, and the faith's own institutions have long shaped its streets. Built for a newspaper company, the west building preserves the moment early in the Taishō era when a Western-style office first appeared in this pilgrimage town.
What to look for
The building rises two storeys under a hipped Yosemune-zukuri slate roof. With a building area of 76 square metres, it is the smallest of the three.
The walls are clad in weatherboarding, Shitami-itabari, and the eave soffits are boarded too. There is little ornament: the overlapping boards and the level line of the eaves do the work. Compare it with the central building next door, whose walls are painted to look like stone, and you see two very different ideas of what a Western-style office should look like.
There are two entrances, one at the centre and one in the lean-to (Geya) on the west side, a layout that seems to reflect the practical needs of a working office.
Visiting
The Konkokyo Tosha West Building remains in use by Konkōkyō, and no announcement of interior opening was found. The exterior can be seen from around the headquarters plaza, together with the east and central buildings. As it is a working building, keep to viewing from outside and ask staff before photographing on the premises.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Konkokyo Tosha West Building
- [ Kurashiki Bikan District & Korakuen Garden Tours ]
Q&A
- Can I visit the Konkokyo Tosha West Building?
- No interior opening has been announced. The exterior can be seen from around the plaza in front of the Konkōkyō headquarters, together with the east and central buildings.
- When and why was the Konkokyo Tosha West Building built?
- It was built in 1916 as the office of the Konkōkyō newspaper company and extended in 1943. It is the oldest of the three Konkokyo Tosha buildings.
- What does the Konkokyo Tosha West Building look like?
- It is a two-storey timber building with a hipped slate roof, weatherboarded walls and boarded eave soffits. The design is plain, with entrances at the centre and in the lean-to on the west side.
- How big is the Konkokyo Tosha West Building?
- Its building area is 76 square metres, making it the smallest of the three Konkokyo Tosha buildings.
- When was the Konkokyo Tosha West Building registered as a cultural property?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) on 27 October 2017, together with the east and central buildings, as a contributor to the historic landscape.
Basic Information
| Name | Konkokyo Tosha West Building (金光教徒社西棟) |
|---|---|
| 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 76 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 West Building | Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012040
- Recommendation for registration of the Konkokyo Tosha buildings | Asakuchi City
- https://www.city.asakuchi.lg.jp/page/2081.html
Last verified: 2026.09.24
