Army Clothing Depot buildings designated as national important cultural properties—Subsidies to be made available for seismic reinforcement costs
Jan. 20, 2024
by Koji Higuchi, Staff Writer
On January 19, Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs designated all four buildings of the former Army Clothing Depot as national important cultural properties. The depot buildings, located in Hiroshima’s Minami Ward, are among the largest structures that survived the atomic bombing of the city. Seismic reinforcement work on the buildings is set to begin in fiscal 2024 by the proprietors, including the Hiroshima Prefectural government, but half of such costs will be covered by subsidies made available by the agency. At one time, a plan to demolish the buildings was at the forefront but, with the designation, full-scale efforts to preserve and utilize the structures are about to get underway.
The national government announced the designation of the four buildings through the Cultural Affairs Agency’s official gazette. The Hiroshima Prefectural government, the proprietor of three of the buildings, and the national Chugoku Finance Bureau, the owner of one, plan to begin the seismic reinforcement work in fiscal 2024. The agency will enter into discussions with the two parties about ways to renovate the buildings that avoid damage to their cultural value.
Last November, the national Council for Cultural Affairs recommended to Japan’s Education Minister Masahito Moriyama that the buildings be designated as important cultural properties due to their rarity as some of the oldest reinforced concrete structures once belonging to the former Imperial Japanese Army.
The prefectural government envisions use of building No. 1 as a center for peace education, and buildings No. 2–4 as a venue of communication for the local community, a lodging facility, and a tourism center. The prefectural government is making preparations to transfer ownership of building No. 1 to the Hiroshima City government free of any charge. The future focus will be on how the prefectural and city governments settle on plans for utilization of the buildings.
Former Army Clothing Depot
The former Army Clothing Depot, completed in 1914, was used as a facility to manufacture military uniforms and footwear for the Imperial Japanese Army. Located 2.7 kilometers southeast of the hypocenter, it served as a temporary relief station after the atomic bombing. Of the original 13 buildings, only four remain in an L-shaped configuration. The Hiroshima Prefectural government owns buildings No. 1–3, and the national government is the proprietor of building No. 4. The costs of seismic reinforcement of the three buildings owned by the prefectural government are projected to rise to 2.9 billion yen, 1.7 times the estimate made in December 2020, due to soaring material costs.
(Originally published on January 20, 2024)
On January 19, Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs designated all four buildings of the former Army Clothing Depot as national important cultural properties. The depot buildings, located in Hiroshima’s Minami Ward, are among the largest structures that survived the atomic bombing of the city. Seismic reinforcement work on the buildings is set to begin in fiscal 2024 by the proprietors, including the Hiroshima Prefectural government, but half of such costs will be covered by subsidies made available by the agency. At one time, a plan to demolish the buildings was at the forefront but, with the designation, full-scale efforts to preserve and utilize the structures are about to get underway.
The national government announced the designation of the four buildings through the Cultural Affairs Agency’s official gazette. The Hiroshima Prefectural government, the proprietor of three of the buildings, and the national Chugoku Finance Bureau, the owner of one, plan to begin the seismic reinforcement work in fiscal 2024. The agency will enter into discussions with the two parties about ways to renovate the buildings that avoid damage to their cultural value.
Last November, the national Council for Cultural Affairs recommended to Japan’s Education Minister Masahito Moriyama that the buildings be designated as important cultural properties due to their rarity as some of the oldest reinforced concrete structures once belonging to the former Imperial Japanese Army.
The prefectural government envisions use of building No. 1 as a center for peace education, and buildings No. 2–4 as a venue of communication for the local community, a lodging facility, and a tourism center. The prefectural government is making preparations to transfer ownership of building No. 1 to the Hiroshima City government free of any charge. The future focus will be on how the prefectural and city governments settle on plans for utilization of the buildings.
Former Army Clothing Depot
The former Army Clothing Depot, completed in 1914, was used as a facility to manufacture military uniforms and footwear for the Imperial Japanese Army. Located 2.7 kilometers southeast of the hypocenter, it served as a temporary relief station after the atomic bombing. Of the original 13 buildings, only four remain in an L-shaped configuration. The Hiroshima Prefectural government owns buildings No. 1–3, and the national government is the proprietor of building No. 4. The costs of seismic reinforcement of the three buildings owned by the prefectural government are projected to rise to 2.9 billion yen, 1.7 times the estimate made in December 2020, due to soaring material costs.
(Originally published on January 20, 2024)
