A Western-Style County Office of 1881
The Former Nishitagawa County Office (旧西田川郡役所, Kyū Nishitagawa Gun'yakusho) is a two-storey timber county office in Western style built in 1881, now relocated to the Chido Museum in Kachushinmachi, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on December 18, 1969 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a timber building with a building area of 264.4 square metres, two storeys with single-storey wings, a projecting entrance and a pantiled roof; designation number 01750, owned by the Chido Museum Foundation.
Built by Order of Mishima Michitsune
According to the Chido Museum, the county office was built in 1881 on the orders of Mishima Michitsune, the first governor of the prefecture. The master carpenters were 石井竹次郎 and Takahashi Kenkichi, a Tsuruoka native who had studied Western building and went on to design many Western-style buildings, becoming the leading master builder of Shonai.
The building was moved to the Chido Museum in 1972, and the museum notes that it was designated in 1969 and re-designated in 1972. It is also a component of the Japan Heritage story サムライゆかりのシルク (Samurai and Silk) (Chido Museum).
Why It Was Designated
The Former Nishitagawa County Office was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1969. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a two-storey Meiji Western-style timber building with a central tower and single-storey wings, well known as the former county office in Yamagata that best keeps its original form, and of high cultural value as a local public building by a local carpenter, Takahashi Kenkichi.
What to Look For
According to the Chido Museum, the building rises 20 metres, with a balcony projecting over the central entrance and a tower and clock at the centre. Renaissance elements appear in key places, such as the column bases of the porch and the cantilevered staircase.
Inside, it serves as a history gallery with archaeological finds from Shonai and material from the Boshin War at the end of the Edo period to the Meiji modernisation (Chido Museum). The same grounds hold the former Tsuruoka Police Station and the former Shibuya family house.
Visiting
According to the Chido Museum, it is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from March to November (last entry 4:30 p.m.) and from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from December to February (last entry 4 p.m.), and closed on Wednesdays and from December 28 to January 4. Admission is 1,000 yen for adults, 400 yen for high school and university students and 300 yen for younger children.
The address is 10-18 Kachushinmachi, Tsuruoka City, about 10 minutes by car from Tsuruoka Station or from the Tsuruoka interchange of the Yamagata Expressway. Enquiries go to the Chido Museum (0235-22-1199).
Q&A
- When was the Former Nishitagawa County Office built?
- In 1881; it was moved to the Chido Museum in 1972 (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Chido Museum).
- Who built it?
- It was built on the orders of governor Mishima Michitsune, with master carpenters 石井竹次郎 and Takahashi Kenkichi (Chido Museum).
- What are its architectural features?
- A two-storey Western-style timber building with a central tower and clock, single-storey wings and a balcony over the entrance (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Chido Museum).
- Can I go inside?
- Yes, as part of the Chido Museum; admission is 1,000 yen for adults, and the museum is closed on Wednesdays (Chido Museum).
- When was the Former Nishitagawa County Office designated?
- On December 18, 1969.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Nishitagawa County Office (旧西田川郡役所) |
|---|---|
| Location | 10-18 Kachushinmachi, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture (Chido Museum) |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1969/12/18 (Showa 44) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, building area 264.4 square metres, two storeys with single-storey wings, projecting entrance, pantiled roof |
| Owner | Chido Museum Foundation |
| Public Access | Open as part of the Chido Museum (fee; closed Wednesdays) |
References
- Former Nishitagawa County Office (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/186
- Permanent exhibitions (Chido Museum, Japanese)
- https://www.chido.jp/permanent-exhibition/
- Visitor guide (Chido Museum, Japanese)
- https://www.chido.jp/guide-2/
- Access (Chido Museum, Japanese)
- https://www.chido.jp/access/
Last verified: 2026.10.14