The Kanmon Building was constructed by Kanmon-Kisen Co. Ltd. In 1931 and used as an office. Kanmon-Kisen is a shipping company established in 1889 that has its head office in the Moji District of the City of Kitakyushu. It operates a ferry to Ganryu Island and a variety of passenger ship routes, including a Kanmon ferry between Kanmon Port and Karato. The entrance faces 2 roads, and a rectangular plane of the corner has been shaved off. Above the cut-off corner is a triangular decoration, and on both sides of the entrance are historic-style columns. The upper-floor windows are evenly spaced on the facade and each have eaves featuring a design. The building is highlighted by a simple exterior devoid of masonry joints. Brick buildings require small, vertical windows to be built for structural reasons, but the Kanmon Bldg. has large windows because it is completely made of a reinforced concrete structure. In 1931 when this building was constructed, reconstruction work on the port facing the Kanmon Straits was underway. Reconstruction was also moving forward on the Karato Pier around that time, and the Kanmon Bldg. was completed as construction on the port finished. This building is characterized by the Showa-era (1926–1989) pursuit offor modern constructions, which did not employ historical designs and structures that includedsuch as the brick used in the Meiji period (1868–1912) and Taisho era (1912–1926). This building also uses a modern approache to building s the designs of modern buildings. Unlike the Former Yamaguchi Bank Head Office and Former Ministry of Communication Shimonoseki Post Office Telephone Dept. Bldg., the Kanmon Bldg. is a completely reinforced concrete structure attesting to the evolution of architectural engineering. When it was built, the 1st floor had a restaurant. Blueprints from that time include a Morinaga Ice Candy sign. The 1st-floor shop was later repeatedly renovated multiple times so that there are no longer any traces of its original construction. Today, the building houses food shops, and the upper floors are used as a multi-tenant construction comprised of several offices. The Former British Consulate in Shimonoseki built in the Meiji period (1868–1912) stands on the opposite side of National Rt. 9, and the Former Akita Shokai Bldg. built in the Taisho era (1912–1926) is located diagonally across at the Karato intersection. Together with the Kanmon Bldg. completed in 1931, you can enjoy architectural transformations through the years by looking at the buildings at the Karato intersection.
■ Information
Address：6-2 Karato-cho, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture
Tel：
Parking：available
Hours :
Closed :
Fee :
Other/Notifications：Only the exterior can be viewed
URL:
■Category
Category: Constituent cultural properties
Genre: Story 2
Areas:Shimonoseki area
