Old Photos of Japan rescues rare images of daily life in old Japan
Learn more about this project

80122-0012 - Kyoto Municipal Building, 1934

Kyoto 1934
City Hall

Artist	Unknown
Publisher	New York State Education Department
Medium	Glass Slide
Period	Showa
Location	Kyoto
Image No.	80122-0012
Purchase	Digital File
Author	Kjeld Duits

Kyoto City Hall shortly after it was completed.

Kyoto’s municipal building was designed by Goichi Takeda (1872-1938, 武田五一), in collaboration with Shinichi Nakano (中野進一). Constructed in two stages, the first stage was finished in 1927 (Showa 2) and the second one in 1931 (Showa 6). This photo, taken in May 1934 (Showa 9), therefore shows the building when it was still quite new.

Goichi Takeda, who founded the department of architecture at Kyoto University, played an important role in the establishment of modern Japanese architecture in the Kansai area.

80717-0344 - Kyoto City Hall, 2008 — Kyoto City Hall in 2008 (Heisei 20), photographed from approximately the same location.

This glass slide is one of a series of slides of Japan that was used by the New York State Education Department to teach students about Japan.

see current map

Notes

¹ Department of architecture at Kyoto University.

Published November 12, 2008
Updated December 8, 2021 12:36 AM

Reader Supported

Old Photos of Japan aims to be your personal museum for Japan's visual heritage and to bring the experiences of everyday life in old Japan to you.

To enhance our understanding of Japanese culture and society I track down, acquire, archive, and research images of everyday life, and give them context.

I share what I have found for free on this site, without ads or selling your data.

Your support helps me to continue doing so, and ensures that this exceptional visual heritage will not be lost and forgotten.

Thank you,
Kjeld Duits

support

Reference for Citations

Duits, Kjeld (December 8, 2021). Kyoto 1934: City Hall, OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN. Retrieved on May 12, 2026 (GMT) from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/453/city-hall

Explore More

Osaka 1924
The Art of Looking Down

After Japan’s first powered airplane flight in 1910, bird’s-eye view maps boomed. This essay explores a masterpiece of this genre, a 1924 map of Osaka.

Kobe 1920s
Hyogo-Ku

A view from Kobe’s Tamondori onto Sankaku Koen (literally Triangle Park) in Hyogo-ku. The road on the right is Daikaidori (大開道), the one on the left Yanagiharasen (柳原線). It lead to Hyogo Station, and still does so, today.

Nagasaki 1890s
View on City and Bay

Panoramic view on the southern part of the city of Nagasaki as seen from Mt. Kazagashira. The city is crowded with traditional style wooden buildings and the harbor is bustling with ships.

Add Comment

There are currently no comments on this article.

Kyoto 1934City Hall