KITAKYUSHU -- An upscale restaurant built in this southwest Japan city amid the booming times of the coal industry is packed with whimsical design details.

The long-established Kinnabe traditional Japanese restaurant in Kitakyushu's Wakamatsu Ward has witnessed the transition of key industries that have supported modern Japan. The current structure was built in 1910, when coal used to be called "black diamonds." The nearby Port of Wakamatsu was the largest coal shipping harbor in Japan, and the city's busy area where Kinnabe is located was bustling.

Windows with bat motifs, others with mountain shapes and curves that take in light, and yet others on the wall separating the hallway and diners' rooms are all decorated with different designs, giving the fancy establishment its unique gorgeousness and playful spirit. The large hall has a stage for geisha to dance.

During an industrial transition from coal to steel manufacturing, this restaurant was often used by large corporations to entertain clients, and today it continues to be a favorite social gathering place for local businesses and citizens.

The diners' room used as a study by Ashihei Hino (1907-1960), a novelist known for his works "Mugi to Heitai" (Wheat and soldiers) and "Hana to Ryu" (Flowers and dragons), is called "Ashihei's room," and retains the atmosphere of the times.

Kinnabe's front gate, with glass transom windows on both sides, and the three-story main building, a wooden structure with tiled roofs, were registered as a national tangible cultural property in 2004.

(Japanese original by Minoru Kanazawa, Kyushu Photo and Video Department)

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The Japanese version of this article was originally published on May 1, 2022.

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This series explores Japan's architectural wonders and secrets of yesteryear. Read more Retro Japan articles here.