Famous sightseeing spot in Iwate! Morioka's iconic historical western architecture, the Iwate Bank Red Brick Building

  • Iwate
  • Sightseeing
Iwate Bank Red Brick Mansion
Morioka is the largest city in Iwate Prefecture. Morioka City, surrounded by rich nature and overlooking Mt. Iwate, is home to the Iwate Bank Red Brick Pavilion, a Western-style building with over 100 years of history. In this article, we will introduce the charm of the Iwate Bank Red Brick Mansion, a landmark of Morioka City.

Iwate Bank Red Brick Pavilion, a landmark in Morioka City

Morioka City in Iwate Prefecture has been selected as one of the "52 Places to Go in 2023" recommended by a famous American newspaper, and is attracting worldwide attention. The landmark building of Morioka City is the Iwate Bank Red Brick Pavilion, located about 10 minutes by bus from JR Morioka Station, near Morioka Castle Ruins Park with its beautiful cherry blossoms and autumn leaves. The building, with its retro Western-style red brick structure reminiscent of an exotic country, is designated as a National Important Cultural Property.
The exterior of the building is characterized by its red brick construction.

The Iwate Bank Red Brick Pavilion boasts over 100 years of history.

The Iwate Bank Red Brick Building was constructed by Kingo Tatsuno, known as the father of modern architecture in Japan, and Manji Kasai, a Morioka-born architect. The building was used by many people as a bank for about 100 years, from 1911 when it was completed as the former Morioka Bank head office building until 2012 when it was closed as the Iwate Bank Nakanobashi Branch. In 2016, four years after it closed for business, the building was reopened to the public as the Iwate Bank Red Brick Museum, where visitors can still see the original building and the vaults actually used by the bank.
Multipurpose Hall Large (Courtesy of Iwate Bank)

Iwate Bank Red Brick Pavilion and Tokyo Station Marunouchi Station Building

Looking at the exterior of the Iwate Bank Red Brick Pavilion, do you feel that it resembles the Marunouchi Station Building of Tokyo Station? In fact, these two buildings were designed by Kingo Tatsuno, the father of modern Japanese architecture, whom we mentioned earlier. The Iwate Bank Red Brick Building was constructed three years before the Tokyo Station Marunouchi Building, and its Western-style red brick architecture still watches over citizens in Morioka and Tokyo. If you are heading to Morioka on the Tohoku Shinkansen, why not take a look at the Tokyo Station Marunouchi Building before boarding the train and discover the similarities between the two structures?
Tokyo Station Marunouchi Station Building

The interior of the building is enchanting with its retro and gorgeous decorations.

Just looking at the Western-style exterior of the Iwate Bank Red Brick Building is impressive enough, but be sure to take a look at the interior as well. The vaulted ceilings, the detailed wooden arches, the space used as a counter, and the gorgeous and classic interior are all decorated throughout the building, so please enjoy your tour of the building while paying attention to these points.

The Iwate Bank Red Brick Museum ≪Iwate Bank Red Brick Museum Information≫
■Hours
10:00-17:00 (admission until 16:30)
■Closed days
Tuesdays, year-end and New Year holidays (December 29-January 3)
*In addition to the listed dates, the museum may be closed for facility inspection and other reasons.
■Fees (fee-based zones)
General (16 years and older) ...300 yen
Elementary and junior high school students ...100 yen
Preschool children (under 7 years old) ...free
*First floor entrance hall, library lounge and multipurpose hall are free

*For more information For more information, please visit the official website of the Iwate Bank Red Brick Pavilion.
Entrance Hall (courtesy of Iwate Bank)

Let's go to Morioka, a city with a lot to see and do!

The Iwate Bank Red Brick Pavilion, which is no longer used as a bank, is still active as a tourist attraction and a landmark of Morioka City. When you visit Morioka City, experience the exotic culture at the Iwate Bank Red Brick Museum. In addition to Morioka Castle Ruins Park and Ishiwari Cherry Blossoms, there are also many restaurants in the city where you can enjoy excellent gourmet food such as Morioka Cold Noodles and Wankosoba, etc. Please be sure to stop by the Iwate Bank Red Brick Museum as well.
The Iwate Bank Red Brick Pavilion is also beautiful at night
The Iwate Bank Red Brick Museum official website

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