- No-22
- Tochiki Bldg.
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■ Commentary
The Tochiki Bldg. is an office building constructed in 1920 as the head office for Tochiki Shoji Co., Ltd. (present-day Tochiki Kisen Co., Ltd.). Tochiki Shoten was established in 1901 as Tochiki Junsaku Shoten in Wakamatsu-machi (present-day Wakamatsu District). In December 1915, Tochiki Shoji Co., Ltd. was established with 600,000 yen in capital and inherited all businesses run by Tochiki Junsaku Shoten, including the ocean and rail, coal sales, agency, contracting, and iron shipbuilding businesses.
Five years later, Tochiki Bldg. was newly built as the company’s head office. As the company’s businesses grew, its head office was moved from Wakamatsu to Kobe City in 1935. The old head office standing in Wakamatsu today is still being used as a multi-tenant building under the Tochiki name.
The 3-story building is distinctive for a total reinforced concrete construction that was still unusual at the time of its construction. The fact that the entire office building was constructed using reinforced concrete just a few years after this construction was first utilized in the 1910s shows how successful Tochiki Shoten was.
Furthermore, while it stands on reclaimed land, a semi-basement was constructed, and from its initial construction a septic tank for home use was included and flush toilets installed. These indicate that though small in scale, it was a state-of-the-art building.
Outside, the 1st floor has stone pitching, and the 2nd and 3rd floors have header tile. The parapet on the uppermost portion features a mortar finish. The decorative areas include the wall facing the street that has a pattern of 3 diamonds, the circular shape around the entrance, and an engraving of a lion on the small eave of the top floor that is not visible today.
Considering the backdrop of construction in 1920, this building differs from the architectural style of the time that featured numerous decorative elements. Instead, it is structured from simple elements used in modern architecture.
The architect was Shohei Matsuda , who is known for designing the Former Moji Mitsui Club in the Mojiko Retro District. His father was Takeichiro Matsuda , a mining engineer who graduated from Imperial University, and his younger brother, Gunpei Matsuda , also worked as an architect from the late Taisho era (1912–1926) to the Showa era (1926–1989).
Shohei Matsuda was born in Nogata, Fukuoka Prefecture in 1889. In 1911, he graduated from the architecture course of Nagoya Higher Technical School. After working in the architectural division of the South Manchurian Railway Co., Ltd. , and being a temporary employee of Japan Rubber and Fukuoka City, he opened his own office. At the time he was involved with the Tochiki Bldg, he was still a young man in his late 20s. From the building yYou can sense his youthful endeavors full of ambition in this building. -
■ Information
Address：1-15-10 Hon-machi, Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture
Tel：
Parking：available
Hours :
Closed :
Fee :
Other/Notifications：Only the exterior can be viewed
URL: -
■Category
Category: Constituent cultural properties
Genre: Story 3
Areas:Wakamatsu/Tobata area
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