A Tiled Office Block on Midosuji
The Mido Building (御堂ビルディング) is an office building of 1965 in Honmachi, Chuo Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 6, 2024 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a steel-reinforced concrete building of 9 storeys above ground and 4 below, with a building area of 3,442 square metres and a rooftop structure; registration number 27-0899.
An Office Block at Midosuji and Honmachi
The Mido Building stands on the corner where Midosuji meets Honmachi-dori, and was designed by the design department of the Takenaka Corporation (Agency for Cultural Affairs). A central core, full-web beams and lightweight concrete, the latest techniques of the day, give it wide spans.
According to Osaka City, it was built as the Osaka head office of Takenaka. The building is set back from the site boundary on all four sides to leave open space, and the ground floor sits about 1 metre below the street as an entrance hall, which allowed 9 floors of offices. The legal height limit of the time, 31 metres, was turned to advantage to give the building a compact, concentrated presence.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes the walls of repeated single windows, faced in porcelain tile of three colours, brown, grey and earth, which give the exterior its dignity; it was registered as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the walls in three-coloured porcelain tile and the even rhythm of the single windows (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Osaka City).
Visiting
It is an office building in use. No official information on visits to the interior was found.
Q&A
- When was the Mido Building built?
- In 1965 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Who designed it?
- The design department of the Takenaka Corporation.
- What should I look for?
- The dignified walls faced in porcelain tile of three colours.
- Where is it?
- On the corner of Midosuji and Honmachi-dori in Chuo Ward, Osaka.
- When was the Mido Building registered?
- On March 6, 2024 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Mido Building (御堂ビルディング) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4-27-12 Honmachi and others, Chuo Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2024/03/06 (Reiwa 6) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Steel-reinforced concrete, 9 storeys above ground and 4 below, 3,442 m², with rooftop structure |
| Owner | TAK Property Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Office building (no visiting information) |
References
- Mido Building (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014872
- Mido Building, Takenaka Osaka head office (Osaka City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/toshiseibi/cmsfiles/contents/0000266/266754/Mido_Building.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.20