A Brick Hall for Shibusawa Eiichi
Seishido (誠之堂) is a brick memorial hall built for Shibusawa Eiichi's 77th birthday of 1916 in Okiai, Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on May 30, 2003 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey brick building with a slate roof and a building area of 113.30 square metres; designation number 02425.
A Hall to Celebrate a 77th Birthday
Seishido was built to celebrate the 77th birthday of the industrialist Shibusawa Eiichi, at the sports and recreation grounds of the Dai-Ichi Bank in what is now Seta, Setagaya, Tokyo; work began in March 1916 and it opened on November 12, 1916 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It was designed by the chief engineer of the Shimizu-gumi construction firm, which built it.
In 1998 and 1999 it was taken down in large sections of wall and rebuilt on its present site in Fukaya (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency describes it as a small but refined work of varied brickwork and free design, representative of the arts-and-crafts tendency of Taisho architecture and one of the major works of a leading designer of the era, and designates it as an Important Cultural Property.
English Rustic Style
It is a single-storey brick building with a natural slate roof, arranged around a great hall with a veranda, with a side room, a powder room and an entrance. Its exterior is based on English rustic taste, with varied brickwork in three shades, and the north chimney spells out the characters for "77th birthday" in brick (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Plaster reliefs of clouds and cranes decorate the ribs of the vaulted ceiling of the great hall, a bronze relief of Shibusawa hangs above the fireplace, and the windows beside it hold stained glass based on Han-dynasty Chinese stone reliefs (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
What to Look For
Look for the three-shade brickwork, the chimney spelling "77th birthday", and the vaulted great hall with its stained glass (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Fukaya City (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to Saitama Prefecture, the interior is open to visitors from 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30), closed over the New Year holidays, with free admission.
Q&A
- When was Seishido built?
- In 1916 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is the name read?
- Seishido.
- Why was it built?
- To celebrate the 77th birthday of Shibusawa Eiichi.
- Can I visit?
- According to Saitama Prefecture, the interior is open free from 9:00 to 17:00.
- When was Seishido designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On May 30, 2003 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Seishido (誠之堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 110-3 Okiai, Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 2003/05/30 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Brick, single storey, slate roof, 113.30 m² |
| Owner | Fukaya City |
| Public Access | 9:00–17:00, free (Saitama Prefecture) |
References
- Seishido (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/3788
- Seishido (Saitama Prefecture, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.saitama.lg.jp/b0110/hokubutiikinogaiyou/gunmadc-kankousozai-spot.html
Last verified: 2026.10.19