OTARU, Hokkaido -- A Renaissance-style former branch office of the Bank of Japan in this northern city is now serving as a museum sharing the history of the central bank and resources for learning financial systems with visitors.

With its numerous banks, the city in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido earned the nickname "Wall Street of the north" and prospered during the period of modernization in the Meiji era (1868-1912) and Taisho era (1912-1926).

The central bank's former Otaru Branch, which retains the atmosphere of that period, was designed by Kingo Tatsuno (1854-1919) and his proteges, and was completed in 1912. Tatsuno also worked on the Bank of Japan's Head Office in Tokyo and Tokyo Station.

The two-story brick building has a Renaissance-style exterior. It features five domes on its roof, and the outside walls are finished with mortar to resemble stone.

Upon entering through the main entrance, visitors are greeted by the lobby and the banking floor in an impressive open atrium illuminated by natural light and lighting fixtures. Original decorations remain intact on the ceiling some 10.5 meters above the floor. Steel frames support the roof from the brick walls, enabling a pillar-free space.

The Otaru Branch was closed in September 2002, and the building has been open to the public since May 2003 as the Bank of Japan Otaru Museum, where visitors can learn about the history of the central bank and the workings of finance free of charge. The museum is closed on Wednesdays and during the year-end and New Year holidays.

(Japanese original by Taichi Kaizuka, Hokkaido Photo and Video Department)

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The Japanese version of this article was originally published on Sept. 18, 2022.

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