The Rope Sewing Factory at a Glance
The Former Nakagawa Brick Factory Rope Sewing Factory (旧中川煉瓦製造所縄縫工場, Nawanui Kōjō) is a single-storey brick factory building of about 1916 in Magoheiji-cho, Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 10, 2005 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Its registration number is 25-0236, and the registration includes its gateposts and wing walls.
It stands on a corner lot about 300 meters east of the main works site (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The roof is sheet iron, and the building area is 131 square meters.
A Long Building Entered from the Gable End
The Nakagawa rope sewing factory is a long, narrow brick building, 22 meters by 6 meters, with a gabled roof and its entrance in the gable end (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The walls are laid in header bond, showing only the short ends of the bricks, while the base is in English bond (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Dentils run along the cornice and the triangular pediment of the gable, and the tops of the wing walls are shaped in brick into small roofs.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the Former Nakagawa Brick Factory Rope Sewing Factory as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country, praising its careful workmanship and the color it brings to the street.
Because it stands apart from the works, facing the street, it is the one of the four Nakagawa buildings that can be seen up close from a public street. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry lists it with the other three as part of Omihachiman's red-brick manufacturing heritage.
What to Look For
From the corner you can take in the pediment of the gable end together with the gateposts and wing walls. The little brick roofs on top of the wing walls are the detail that catches the eye (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The walls show nothing but headers, until the base switches to English bond with its alternating courses. Finding the line where the bond changes shows how carefully the Nakagawa rope sewing factory was built.
Visiting
No official information on interior access to the Former Nakagawa Brick Factory Rope Sewing Factory was found; it is seen from the street.
It is in Magoheiji-cho, about 300 meters east of the main site with the Hoffman kiln, and about 1.6 kilometers northwest of JR Omi-Hachiman Station in a straight line.
Q&A
- Where is the Former Nakagawa Brick Factory Rope Sewing Factory?
- In Magoheiji-cho, Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture, on a corner about 300 meters east of the former works site (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Former Nakagawa Brick Factory Rope Sewing Factory built?
- In about 1916 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What should I look for at the Former Nakagawa Brick Factory Rope Sewing Factory?
- The dentils on the pediment and cornice, the wing walls topped with little brick roofs, and the header-bond walls (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I go inside the Former Nakagawa Brick Factory Rope Sewing Factory?
- No official information on interior access was found; it is seen from the street.
- When was the Former Nakagawa Brick Factory Rope Sewing Factory registered?
- On November 10, 2005, under registration number 25-0236 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Nakagawa Brick Factory Rope Sewing Factory (旧中川煉瓦製造所縄縫工場) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-1 Magoheiji-cho, Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005/11/10 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Brick, single-storey, sheet-iron roof, building area 131 m², with gateposts and wing walls |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Exterior only (no official information on interior access) |
References
- Former Nakagawa Brick Factory Rope Sewing Factory (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00004989
- Heritage of Industrial Modernization 33 (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japanese)
- https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/mono_info_service/mono/creative/kindaikasangyoisan/pdf/isangun.pdf
Last verified: 2026.11.01
