Shōwa
昭和Browse Japan’s cultural heritage from the Shōwa period (1926 – 1989). Filter by prefecture, type, and keyword, with concise stories, maps, and travel tips.
A single-storey timber tea house on a hill in Gamagori, Aichi, with a small tea room and an eight-mat guest room, built in the sukiya manner. Registered in 2022.
A 1934 building on a hill above Mikawa Bay in Gamagori, Aichi. A hip-and-gable copper roof sits on a concrete frame, with wings of three and two storeys.
A single-storey timber building of 1936 in Gamagori, Aichi. Hexagonal, roofed in glazed blue tiles under a sacred jewel, it was a sales pavilion. Registered in 2022.
A two-storey timber building of 1950 in Nagoya, Aichi. Its rooms are set apart by corridors and narrow interstitial spaces rather than placed side by side.
A single-storey timber hall of 1932 in Joso, Ibaraki, 541 square metres. Built as a school gymnasium and auditorium, it now serves as a martial arts hall.
A single-storey timber house at Okinawa World in Nanjo, 127 square metres. Four rooms range along the front and three more lie behind them to the west.
A bridge of 1939 over the Iwai River in Ichinoseki, Iwate, 61 metres long. The Agency records it as a concrete bridge with bamboo used as reinforcement.
A shop and dwelling in Kamioka, Hida, Gifu, 270 square metres. Its townhouse front carries a Western reception room to the right, Western inside and out.
Explore the Jiaien Maude Powlas Memorial Museum, a 1927 Registered Tangible Cultural Property in Kumamoto. This charming former missionary residence tells the story of an American woman who revolutionized Japanese social welfare. Near Suizenji Garden.
Discover the Tanitoyoke Residence Toilet, a nationally registered tangible cultural property in Tano-cho, Kochi. This early Showa-era structure showcases exquisite sukiya (tea house) style design elements, demonstrating Japan's refined aesthetic sensibility that extends even to utilitarian architecture.
Discover Raymond Hall, a Registered Tangible Cultural Property at Mie University designed by legendary architect Antonin Raymond in 1951. This wooden masterpiece showcases the innovative "Raymond Style" with exposed log structures and pioneering modernist design that influenced generations of Japanese architects.
Discover Misaka Tunnel (Misaka Zuidou), a 1931 historic tunnel registered as a Tangible Cultural Property. Located at Misaka Pass in Yamanashi, it offers breathtaking views of Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko, and was immortalized in Dazai Osamu's masterpiece "Fugaku Hyakkei."
Discover Kannonshoji Goma-do, a registered cultural property in Shiga Prefecture. This 1928 fire ritual hall preserves Edo-period craftsmanship through recycled temple materials, offering visitors a glimpse into Japanese Buddhist architectural heritage.
Discover the Kannonshoji Bell Tower, a Registered Cultural Property from 1928 featuring rare octagonal pillar construction. Located at the historic Temple in the Sky in Shiga Prefecture.
Discover Kannon-shoji Temple's Temizuya, a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan built in 1928. This elegant purification pavilion features traditional craftsmanship including rainbow beams and frog-leg struts, nestled on the historic pilgrimage route of the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage in Shiga Prefecture.
Explore Kannonshoji Fuda-dō, a Registered Tangible Cultural Property built in 1928 on Mt. Kinugasa, Shiga Prefecture. This historic pilgrimage hall at the 32nd temple of Japan's oldest Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage embodies centuries of Buddhist tradition and traditional architecture. Plan your visit to this "Temple in the Sky" near Azuchi Castle.
Discover the Furukawa Family Residence Storehouse (Furukawa-ke Jutaku Kura), a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in Toyosato, Shiga. This beautifully preserved earthen storehouse showcases traditional Japanese dozo architecture with white plaster walls, tile roofing, and historic Omi merchant heritage.
Explore the Ikinariya Storehouse (Dozou), a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan built in 1928. Located in Niigata's historic Nishiohata district, this traditional Japanese storehouse features a stunning crane relief plaster art and represents the elegance of a legendary ryotei with over 300 years of history.
Discover the Former Yokohama Technical College Main Building, a Registered Tangible Cultural Property showcasing the elegant fusion of Renaissance and Modernist architecture from 1938. Located in Gumyoji, this historic school building represents Japan's prewar educational heritage.
Discover Toita Hall, a beautifully preserved 1940s wooden village office building in Kanazawa, designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property. Explore its unique architectural features blending Japanese and Western styles along the historic Kanaishi Road.