Hiroshima Army Clothing Sub-Depot

Overview

The Hiroshima Army Clothing Sub-Depot, also known as the Deshio Warehouse, is a group of reinforced-concrete warehouses built in 1905 in Minami-ku, Hiroshima. Built as a military clothing depot, it is regarded as one of the oldest surviving reinforced-concrete structures in Japan. In 2024, its four remaining buildings were designated Important Cultural Properties.

Highlights

• ●Founded in 1905 as an army clothing depot
• ●Among Japan's oldest surviving reinforced-concrete buildings
• ●Four warehouses, No. 10 through No. 13, still stand
• ●Designated an Important Cultural Property in 2024

History

The facility was built in 1905 as a clothing depot for the Imperial Japanese Army. After the war it served as a student dormitory and a transport warehouse, then fell vacant from the late 1990s. Following a citizen-led preservation movement, its four surviving buildings were designated national Important Cultural Properties in January 2024.

Map

34.3744, 132.4721 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Travel from central Hiroshima to the Deshio area of Minami-ku
2. 2Observe the scale of the surviving row of warehouses
3. 3Look at the reinforced-concrete walls and iron doors
4. 4Check nearby signage on modern architecture and preservation

Did you know?

💡 The buildings are valued as rare remnants from the dawn of reinforced-concrete construction technology in Japan.

Nearby spots