A Spinning Mill Office Turned Local Museum
The Kaizuka City Historical Exhibition Hall (former office of the Unitika Kaizuka Mill) (貝塚市歴史展示館（旧ユニチカ株式会社貝塚工場事務所）) is a single-storey timber mill office built in 1935 in Handa, Kaizuka City, Osaka Prefecture, which in 2007 was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a slate roof and a building area of 326 square metres, with an extension in 1945 and renovation in 2005. It belongs to Kaizuka City.
Osaka Bunkazai Navi explains that it was built as the office of the Kaizuka mill of Unitika (formerly Dainippon Spinning and Nichibo), and was donated to Kaizuka City in 2005 and opened as an exhibition hall.
The Building
The Agency describes it facing south on the former Unitika site north of Higashi-Kaizuka Station on the JR Hanwa Line. It is L-shaped, with a porch wing added to the east of the original office, whose front is 19 metres long.
A hipped roof covers the whole, and horizontal bands above and below the windows unify the exterior. Osaka Bunkazai Navi names the architect as Hashimoto Tsutomu and the builder as Takenaka Corporation, and notes scratch-tile facing on the lower walls at the entrance.
The Agency presents it as a record of modern Osaka's prosperity from cotton spinning.
The Displays
According to Osaka Bunkazai Navi, room A shows an original Toyoda automatic loom and the history of the Dainippon Spinning Kaizuka mill.
Room B covers the Nichibo Kaizuka women's volleyball team, known as the Oriental Witches. The former mill office now tells the story of the mill and its workers.
Visiting the Kaizuka City Historical Exhibition Hall
Osaka Bunkazai Navi gives opening hours of 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (closed from noon to 1:00 p.m.), closed on Tuesdays, public holidays (and the following day when a Tuesday is a holiday) and over the New Year. Admission is free.
The address is 138-1 Handa, Kaizuka City; telephone 072-431-0500.
Q&A
- When was the Kaizuka City Historical Exhibition Hall built?
- It was built in 1935 as a mill office and extended in 1945.
- When was the Kaizuka City Historical Exhibition Hall registered?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 15 May 2007.
- What can I see at the Kaizuka City Historical Exhibition Hall?
- An original Toyoda automatic loom, the history of the spinning mill and the history of the Nichibo Kaizuka women's volleyball team.
- What are the opening hours?
- 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (closed from noon to 1:00 p.m.), free, closed on Tuesdays.
- Who designed the building?
- Hashimoto Tsutomu, with construction by Takenaka Corporation, according to Osaka Bunkazai Navi.
Basic Information
| Name | Kaizuka City Historical Exhibition Hall (former office of the Unitika Kaizuka Mill) (貝塚市歴史展示館（旧ユニチカ株式会社貝塚工場事務所）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 138-1 Handa, Kaizuka City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2007/5/15 (Heisei 19) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, slate roof, building area 326 square metres |
| Owner | Kaizuka City |
| Public Access | Open 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed Tuesdays, free |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Kaizuka City Historical Exhibition Hall (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006185
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kaizuka City Historical Exhibition Hall (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/197179
- Osaka Bunkazai Navi: Kaizuka City Historical Exhibition Hall (Japanese)
- https://osaka-bunkazainavi.org/bunkazai/%E8%B2%9D%E5%A1%9A%E5%B8%82%E6%AD%B4%E5%8F%B2%E5%B1%95%E7%A4%BA%E9%A4%A8%EF%BC%88%E6%97%A7%E3%83%A6%E3%83%8B%E3%83%81%E3%82%AB%E6%A0%AA%E5%BC%8F%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E8%B2%9D%E5%A1%9A%E5%B7%A5%E5%A0%B4
Last verified: 2026.09.28