Kazuno City Museum of History and Folklore

Overview

The Kazuno City Museum of History and Folklore stands in the Hanawa district at the heart of Kazuno in Akita Prefecture. It occupies a wooden pseudo-Western-style building completed in 1916 (Taisho 5), originally erected as the former Kazuno County Public Hall. Alongside exhibits on the region's history and folk customs, the building itself is a highlight, and it has been designated a cultural property by Kazuno City.

Highlights

• ●The wooden pseudo-Western facade completed in 1916
• ●Its origin as the former Kazuno County Public Hall
• ●Architectural value as a Kazuno City designated cultural property
• ●Indoor exhibits on the region's history and folk customs

History

The structure was completed in 1916 as the public hall of Kazuno County. It belongs to the pseudo-Western architectural trend that spread across Japan after the country's modernization, in which local carpenters recreated Western forms using traditional Japanese building techniques. After its role as a public hall ended, it was repurposed to house the area's historical and folk materials and was designated a cultural property of Kazuno City as a valuable piece of modern architecture.

Map

40.1907, 140.7920 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Approach the museum on foot from the Hanawa town center
2. 2Study the pseudo-Western exterior and its detailing
3. 3View the historical and folk materials of Kazuno inside
4. 4Finish with a stroll through the surrounding Hanawa streets

Did you know?

💡 A pseudo-Western building is one built by Japanese carpenters using traditional skills while modeling Western architecture. Completed in 1916, this hall is cherished as a structure that still conveys the atmosphere of that transitional era.

Nearby spots