Former Hokkaido government office building
Encyclopedia
is an American-neo-baroque
structure constructed in 1888 as a base of the Hokkaidō
administration. The nickname is Akarenga or "Red Brick." It is the symbol of Hokkaidō and was designated a Japanese Important Cultural Property
in 1969. Behind the current Hokkaidō Government building, the building is located in North 3 West 6, Chūō-ku
, Sapporo, Hokkaidō
, Japan
.
Currently, the facilities inside the building include a conference room, a museum shop, a tourist information office, and a few historical exhibition rooms and libraries. Visitors can enter the building for free. Flower garden
s and a pond are located in front of the building, which occasionally are designated as some event venues.
In 1869, the Kaitakushi, the development commission and government of Hokkaidō prefecture, was established to pioneer the primitive ground of Hokkaidō, and its main office was moved to Sapporo in 1871. An American advisor to the Development Commission, Horace Capron
, planned to construct the building for the Kaitakushi office with an octagonal dome topping on the building, which was popular architectural style in the United States
at that time. The building, named as the , was built in 1873, then which was one of the largest buildings in Japan. It was destroyed by the fire in 1879.
After the abolition of the Kaitakushi in 1882, Hokkaidō was divided into a number of prefectures, and later the Hokkaidō Government was officially established in 1886. The destroyed building was restored, and the new government office building was inaugurated in 1888, with red bricks and the octagonal dome on top of the building as the first governor, Michitoshi Iwamura, has suggested.
In 1896, air vents and the octagonal dome on the top were taken away. The fire destroyed the building again in 1909, and the inside was burnt down, while the walls of the building with red bricks sustained little damage. In 1910, the restoration work of the building began, and completed in 1911.
Government of Hokkaidō prefecture commemorated 100th anniversary in 1968, and original air vents and the octagonal dome were restored and installed to the building again to commemorate the anniversary, and government determined to continue preserving the building permanently. The following year, the building was listed as one of the National Important Cultural Property. In 1985, the Archives of Hokkaidō was housed in the building. The Karafuto/Sakhalin Related Resource Library was also placed in the building in 2004, which has previously been located in the Hokkaidō government office annex in West 18 since 1992.
The measurement of the building is 61 metres in frontage, 36 metres in depth, and 33 metres in height to the top of the tower. The red bricks used in the wall of the building were made in Toyohira and Shiroishi villages, which are currently wards of Sapporo as Toyohira-ku and Shiroishi-ku in each, and the number of the bricks in the walls is around 2.5 million. There are 20 paintings inside of the building, which depict historically important scenes in the history of Hokkaidō. Most of the windows are double paned, which were to prevent the freezing climate of Sapporo.
It houses several facilities. The Archives of Hokkaidō houses a number of historical materials related to Hokkaidō, and annex building of the archives is currently located in West 5, which is close to the Former office building and previously functioned as the Library of Hokkaidō (the library was moved and currently located in Ebetsu
) . The Gallery of Hokkaidō's History was designed to display panels and historical instruments used in farms and cultivation, and is a branch exhibition room of the Historical Museum of Hokkaidō. The Karafuto/Sakhalin Related Resource Library showcases materials related to Karafuto
, which was used to be the northernmost area of Japan and has been part of Russia
as Sakhalin Oblast
after World War II
.
The tourism information center was placed on the second floor, which provides some brochures written in some languages. The three-section arch, which is decorated with engravings in the western architecture, is installed in the entrance hall. The Governor's former office room is open to the public, and it displays restored room facilities as well as pictures of the successive governors in Hokkaidō. Other rooms are occasionally designated as conference rooms, and many companies and organizations have used these rooms for their meetings.
Neo-baroque
The Baroque Revival or Neo-baroque was an architectural style of the late 19th century. The term is used to describe architecture which displays important aspects of Baroque style, but is not of the Baroque period proper—i.e., the 17th and 18th centuries.Some examples of Neo-baroque architecture:*...
structure constructed in 1888 as a base of the Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
administration. The nickname is Akarenga or "Red Brick." It is the symbol of Hokkaidō and was designated a Japanese Important Cultural Property
Important Cultural Properties of Japan
The term is often shortened into just are items officially already classified as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and judged to be of particular importance to the Japanese people....
in 1969. Behind the current Hokkaidō Government building, the building is located in North 3 West 6, Chūō-ku
Chūō-ku, Sapporo
is one of the ten wards in Sapporo city, Japan. Chūō-ku means "central ward" in Japanese. As its name suggests, city administration and entertainment facilities are centred in this ward.- History :...
, Sapporo, Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Currently, the facilities inside the building include a conference room, a museum shop, a tourist information office, and a few historical exhibition rooms and libraries. Visitors can enter the building for free. Flower garden
Flower garden
A flower garden is any garden where flowers are grown for decorative purposes. Because flowers bloom at varying times of the year, and some plants are annual, dying each winter, the design of flower gardens can take into consideration to maintain a sequence of bloom and even of consistent color...
s and a pond are located in front of the building, which occasionally are designated as some event venues.
History
Horace Capron
Horace Capron was an American businessman and agriculturalist, a founder of Laurel, Maryland, a Union officer in the American Civil War, the United States Commissioner of Agriculture under U.S. Presidents Andrew Johnson and Ulysses S...
, planned to construct the building for the Kaitakushi office with an octagonal dome topping on the building, which was popular architectural style in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at that time. The building, named as the , was built in 1873, then which was one of the largest buildings in Japan. It was destroyed by the fire in 1879.
After the abolition of the Kaitakushi in 1882, Hokkaidō was divided into a number of prefectures, and later the Hokkaidō Government was officially established in 1886. The destroyed building was restored, and the new government office building was inaugurated in 1888, with red bricks and the octagonal dome on top of the building as the first governor, Michitoshi Iwamura, has suggested.
In 1896, air vents and the octagonal dome on the top were taken away. The fire destroyed the building again in 1909, and the inside was burnt down, while the walls of the building with red bricks sustained little damage. In 1910, the restoration work of the building began, and completed in 1911.
Government of Hokkaidō prefecture commemorated 100th anniversary in 1968, and original air vents and the octagonal dome were restored and installed to the building again to commemorate the anniversary, and government determined to continue preserving the building permanently. The following year, the building was listed as one of the National Important Cultural Property. In 1985, the Archives of Hokkaidō was housed in the building. The Karafuto/Sakhalin Related Resource Library was also placed in the building in 2004, which has previously been located in the Hokkaidō government office annex in West 18 since 1992.
Overview
It houses several facilities. The Archives of Hokkaidō houses a number of historical materials related to Hokkaidō, and annex building of the archives is currently located in West 5, which is close to the Former office building and previously functioned as the Library of Hokkaidō (the library was moved and currently located in Ebetsu
Ebetsu, Hokkaido
is a city located in Ishikari, Hokkaidō, Japan.- History :Ebetsu was settled originally by Japanese people in 1871, that came from the Miyagi Prefecture on Honshu Island. In 1878, militia men began moving into the area. When the Meiji Government, in 1878, designated Hokkaido as part of Japan,...
) . The Gallery of Hokkaidō's History was designed to display panels and historical instruments used in farms and cultivation, and is a branch exhibition room of the Historical Museum of Hokkaidō. The Karafuto/Sakhalin Related Resource Library showcases materials related to Karafuto
Karafuto Prefecture
, commonly called South Sakhalin, was the Japanese administrative division corresponding to Japanese territory on Sakhalin from 1905 to 1945. Through the Treaty of Portsmouth, the portion of Sakhalin south of 50°N became a colony of Japan in 1905...
, which was used to be the northernmost area of Japan and has been part of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
as Sakhalin Oblast
Sakhalin Oblast
Sakhalin Oblast is a federal subject of Russia comprising the island of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.The oblast has an area of 87,100 km² and a population of 546,695...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The tourism information center was placed on the second floor, which provides some brochures written in some languages. The three-section arch, which is decorated with engravings in the western architecture, is installed in the entrance hall. The Governor's former office room is open to the public, and it displays restored room facilities as well as pictures of the successive governors in Hokkaidō. Other rooms are occasionally designated as conference rooms, and many companies and organizations have used these rooms for their meetings.