- No-3
- Moji Yusen Bldg. (Nippon Yusen Moji Branch Office)
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■ Commentary
Moji Yusen Bldg. is a 4-story reinforced concrete construction built in 1927. If you exit the ticket gate at JR Mojiko Station (Former Moji Station), which was completed in 1914, you can see the bilaterally symmetrical facade (front of the building) across the plaza in front of the station. The two historical buildings facing one another across the station plaza have truly watched over the history of Moji Port for nearly 90 years.
The neighborhood of Moji Port is encircled by the Kanmon Straits to the west, and fromin the south by mountains stretching north and east. Since modern times, the very small area of flatland has prospered as a port. Panoramic photos of the Mojiko District in the late 1800s show it was a tranquil fishing village ofwith shores and beaches.
When Yubin Kisen Mitsubishi Kaisha (Mitsubishi M
ail Steamship Company) and Kyodo Unyu Kaisha (literally, Joint Transport Company) merged to become Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) in 1885, Moji Port was not yet an established port, but had become a port capable of handling freight and passengers only using mail steamers due to the mail steamer port-of-call system. It was designated a special port of export in 1889, and the following year the first dock was completed beyond a drawbridge. It was a very busy stopping point for small boats called hashike that hauled goods such as coal and animal feed, and remained busy up until around 1975.
Furthermore, in 1891, Moji Station was opened in a location slightly closer to the mountains than the current Mojiko Station. As a ship and railway hub, the city area rapidly took shape with buildings for entities including financial companies and shipping companies lining the streets. Moji Yusen Bldg. stands in front of the station where the two lines of the coastal road on the west and JR railway meet. Its location is also easy to understand find due tobased on the streetcar line that was an important means of transport in Moji City.
NYK first expanded into Moji Port with a satellite Akamagaseki Branch Office in 1892, one year behind its rival, Osaka Shosen Kaisha (Osaka Mercantile Steamship Co., Ltd.; O.S.K. Line) . As Moji Port prospered after the Sino-Japanese War, it was upgraded to the Moji Branch Office in 1903, and in its place the Shimonoseki Branch Office was demoted to the satellite office.
The Moji Branch Office of Osaka Mercantile Steamship Co. was newly constructed in 1917, and the current Moji Yusen Bldg. was completed in 1927. The first American-style office in this area, it was furnished with the latest facilities for the time, including elevators, radiators, a kitchenette, and flush toilets.
Its design was influenced by art deco, and the efficient level surface was leveraged to create an economic, highly practical design. It symbolizes the prosperity of Moji Port, which was experiencing vigorous economic activity through trade with the Continent as well as other countries.
Renovations have rendered tThe appearance of the present-day exterior has been simplified through renovationse, but certain features including the mosaic tile in the entrance hall, handrails on the stairs, and lighting fixtures hint at what it once looked like. -
■ Information
Address：7-8 Minato-machi, Moji-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture
Tel：
Parking：Not available
Hours :
Closed :
Fee :
Other/Notifications：Notifications: Only the exterior can be viewed
URL: -
■Category
Category: Constituent cultural properties
Genre: Story 3
Areas:Moji/Kokura area
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