The Exchange of Japan's First Private Telephone
The Ashio Copper Mine Telephone Museum (former Ashio Copper Mine Telephone Exchange) (足尾銅山電話資料館（旧足尾銅山電話交換所）) is the telephone exchange of a mine that had Japan's first private telephone line of 1951 in Ashiomachi, Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 29, 2016 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a sheet-iron roof and a building area of 100 square metres; registration number 09-0231.
An Exterior like a Modern Suburban House
A telephone line was installed at the Ashio Copper Mine in 1886, the first private telephone in Japan (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The present building took over the functions of the Mato exchange in 1951 and is fairly small.
With mortar walls, rows of tall windows and a hipped roof, it looks like one of the modern houses of its day (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the building for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the tall windows in the mortar walls and the hipped roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Furukawa Co., Ltd. (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on public access was found. The new and old buildings, the archive and the telephone museum are introduced together on the Furukawa Kakemizu Club page.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1951 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When did Ashio get its telephone?
- In 1886, the first private telephone in Japan.
- Which exchange did it replace?
- The Mato exchange.
- What does it look like?
- A modern house of its day.
- When was the Ashio Copper Mine Telephone Museum (former Ashio Copper Mine Telephone Exchange) registered?
- On November 29, 2016 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Ashio Copper Mine Telephone Museum (former Ashio Copper Mine Telephone Exchange) (足尾銅山電話資料館（旧足尾銅山電話交換所）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2281 Ashiomachi, Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2016/11/29 (Heisei 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, sheet-iron roof, 100 m² |
| Owner | Furukawa Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | No official access information |
References
- Ashio Copper Mine Telephone Museum (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011263
Last verified: 2026.10.24
