Aomori Bank Memorial Hall (Former main branch of the 59th National Bank)

4.0

Located southeast of Hirosaki Castle, the Aomori Bank Memorial Hall is a designated National Important Cultural Property which was originally built in 1904 as the 59th National Bank. A Renaissance-esque Western-style building, with decorative tower at the top, called the “White Palace,” also serves as an observatory. The interior is decorated with old-fashioned gold patterned Japanese leather paper, very few examples of which survive today in Japan, and the windows incorporate features from Japanese earthen warehouse architecture as both an anti-burglary and fireproofing measure. The hall still retains vestiges of the mixture of Japanese and Western styles with which it was designed in the Meiji period.

Spot details

Aomori Bank Memorial Hall (Former main branch of the 59th National Bank)

Address: Aomori Pref. Hirosakishi Motonagamachi 26 Map
Area: Hirosaki / Kuroishi / Mt. Iwaki Area
Phone: 0172366350
Hours: 9:30-16:30
Closed: Tuesday, New Year's Holiday(12/29-1/3)
Fees: [Admission fee to view]
[General]200yen
[Small, Junior High School Students]100yen
Parking Lot: Not available
Credit Card: Not available

Information Sources: NAVITIME JAPAN

Review

Not a must

Reviewed : 2019.11.02

The building was formerly a bank and now used as a memorial museum. The architecture is European in style. Quite elegant. Displays focus on the development of Japanese coins/money from the samurai...
Worth a visit

Reviewed : 2017.05.16

As the museum is close to the Hirosaki Castle, one should drop by and have a quick walk around. It’s of nice old architecture and very Western style.
棟梁・堀江佐吉の設計施工

Reviewed : 2022.09.06

現存する洋館の中では一番古い部類の建物。明治37年（１９０４年）建てられたもので、斜陽館も手掛けた堀江佐吉（建物前の解説の看板によれば棟梁堀江佐吉の手によるとある）が設計したものという。これだけ大きな建物だが、基本2階建てで展望台を兼ねた装飾塔が目立っている。木造だが、全体とすると石造りの洋館を模した建物で、国の重文に指定されているのもうなづける。早朝の街歩きの際に見たので、内部は入れなかった。