🗺️ Oita Bank Red Brick Museum大分銀行赤レンガ館

The Oita Bank Red Brick Hall is the only existing Western-style building from the Meiji era in Oita City. Construction began in Meiji 43 (1910) and was designed by the famous architect Kingo Tatsuno, known for designing the Tokyo Marunouchi Station building, through his architectural firm, Tatsuno Kataoka. After three years of construction, it was completed and became the main branch of the Twenty-Three Banks. The building is made of red bricks manufactured in England, adorned with white stripes of granite, giving it a charming appearance reminiscent of a chocolate cake. The evenly arranged circular and square windows resemble decorative elements. The helmet-shaped dome at one corner of the building showcases the characteristics of Tatsuno-style architecture. The building was damaged during the air raids of World War II, leaving only the outer walls. It was restored after the war and became the headquarters of Oita Bank. During a major renovation in 2018, the interior decorations and columns were restored to their original appearance. Currently, the hall features safes and ATMs, along with shops selling local products and cafés that have gradually opened. Additionally, as a commemoration of the banking era, a marble clock with markings only from 9 AM to 3 PM is displayed, making it a great spot for photos.

Starting with Tokyo Station, the Oita Bank Brick Museum is also one of the representative brick buildings designed by the Tatsuno Kingo office. Most of the outer walls were burned during air raids, but after reconstruction, the building was restored to its original appearance from the time of its creation. The interior is open for visits, featuring concrete pillars that tell the history of the building and a clock with markings only between 9:00 and 15:00. The boutique store gathering "Oita Good Things" and the specialty café, which is the first of its kind in Oita, are quite popular.