An Early Concrete Village Office
The Former Ogimi Village Office (大宜味村役場旧庁舎) is the oldest surviving reinforced-concrete building in Okinawa, built as a village office of 1925 in Oganeku, Ogimi Village, Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on February 23, 2017 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a reinforced-concrete building, partly two-storeyed, with a building area of 169.98 square metres; designation number 02569.
Concrete against Typhoons and Termites
The Former Ogimi Village Office stands about 100 metres south of the shore (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Designed by Kiyomura Tsutomu, an architect for Kunigami District, it was completed in 1925 in reinforced concrete, then rare in Okinawa, as a defence against typhoons and termites.
Its plan combines a cross and an octagon, with offices around a central hall, above which rises an octagonal tower-like upper floor, an original arrangement for a village office (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency describes it as one of the earliest reinforced-concrete buildings in Okinawa and the oldest surviving, a pioneering example among village offices nationwide, and designates it as an Important Cultural Property for its value in understanding the spread of reinforced concrete in Okinawa.
What to Look For
Look for the cross-and-octagon plan and the octagonal tower-like upper floor over the central hall (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Ogimi Village (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on visiting was found.
Q&A
- When was the office built?
- In 1925 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Who designed it?
- Kiyomura Tsutomu, an architect for Kunigami District.
- Why reinforced concrete?
- As a defence against typhoons and termites.
- What is its plan like?
- A cross combined with an octagon, with an octagonal upper floor over the central hall.
- When was the Former Ogimi Village Office designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On February 23, 2017 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Ogimi Village Office (大宜味村役場旧庁舎) |
|---|---|
| Location | 157-2 Oganeku, Ogimi Village, Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 2017/02/23 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, partly 2 storeys, 169.98 m² |
| Owner | Ogimi Village |
| Public Access | No official visiting information |
References
- Former Ogimi Village Office (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/00004981
Last verified: 2026.10.19