Flagstones form attractive geometric patterns around the Taisho Roman Kan Building, formerly the Sasayama City Hall, in Tamba-Sasayama, Hyogo Prefecture.
17:22 JST, June 14, 2024
TAMBA-SASAYAMA, Hyogo — The Old Sasayama Town Hall in Tamba-Sasayama, Hyogo Prefecture, built in 1923, is still loved by locals for the way it preserves a piece of the Taisho era (1912-26) brings to the present.
Popular culture flourished during the years of the Taisho era, so these years are widely regarded as an exciting and happy time, in stark contrast to the subsequent years that saw the country plunge headlong into World War II.
The Old Town Hall, now called Taisho Roman Kan (Romantic Taisho House), is located in the heart of the city, where it served as the town hall for about 70 years until 1992. Since 1993, the building has been used as a tourist facility selling local products. The wooden construction has a striking shape with a complex layered roof. The main entrance is in the center section, with two more doorways on the left and right. On the roof there is a fire watchtower that overlooks the entire city. Last year, the building was closed for two months for a major renovation, during which new tables and benches were installed in the building for the presentation of merchandise.
The stately atmosphere of this city monument has never faded. “In an area full of farms, a building that looks as nice as this one really stands out, so it was everyone’s dream to work at the town hall,” says an 85-year-old local woman who remembers what the municipal government office used to be like are from the city.
