VOL.200 FEBRUARY 2025
HISTORIC JAPANESE PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE OF THE MODERN ERA Masterpiece of Architecture in Early Era of Japan’s modernization: The Old Saiseikan Hospital Building

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Yamagata Prefecture, located in the Tohoku region on the Sea of Japan side, is home to the city of Yamagata in its central-eastern area. The Old Saiseikan Hospital Building, originally constructed as a hospital in the mid-19th century, can be found here. Today, it serves as the Yamagata City Local History Museum. Recognized as a masterpiece of Gi-yofu architecture (a style imitating Western architecture)¹, where Japanese craftsmen imitated Western designs, the building is designated as an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government. This introduction highlights the building’s history and distinctive features.

The Yamagata City Local History Museum, located near the center of Yamagata City’s downtown in Kajo Park, is a relocated and reconstructed version of the Old Saiseikan Hospital Building, completed in 1878. We spoke with TANABE Masanori from the Cultural Creative City Division, Yamagata City.

“The current Yamagata City Local History Museum was originally built as a prefectural hospital in September 1878 on the site of the old Otemon Gate of Yamagata Castle’s third outer bailey. The building was dismantled and restored, then relocated to Kajo Park in April 1969, opening as the Local History Museum in 1971,” explains TANABE.

The first governor² of Yamagata Prefecture, MISHIMA Michitsune, planned the construction of a new prefectural hospital in Yamagata City as a symbol of the civilization and enlightenment. The building was designed by TSUTSUI Akitoshi and constructed by master carpenter HARAGUCHI Sukeyuki and others.

“It is said that HARAGUCHI gathered many miyadaiku—carpenters specializing in the construction of temples, shrines, and similar structures—from Yamagata, and with a team of about 300 craftsmen, the building was completed in just seven months. The people of Yamagata affectionately referred to this beautiful three-story wooden high-rise building as ‘Sansoro’ (Three-Story Tower).”

“The ‘Saisei’ in ‘Saiseikan’ means ‘to save lives’, a term frequently used in Edo-period books about kanpo herbal medicine. True to its name, this hospital has served as a building that saves people’s lives,” says TANABE.

Today, the Old Saiseikan Hospital Building is praised as one of the finest examples of Gi-yofu architecture (a style imitating Western architecture) constructed during the early Meiji era (1868 to 1912), a time when Japan began its modernization in earnest.

“The building is characterized by its unique and innovative design, featuring a three-floor tower and a donut-shaped corridor. The tower is particularly symbolic of the Old Saiseikan Hospital Building. The first floor is octagonal, with an open stone-paved veranda at the front³. The second floor is a 16-sided hall with a large dome-shaped roof. The third floor consists of small octagonal rooms with wide balconies,” comments TANABE.

“Although the exterior has three stories, the interior is actually four stories, as indicated by the four verandas and balconies. The room between the second and topmost third floors is referred to as a third-floor mezzanine or stairwell. This complex structure is supported by Japan’s traditional advanced wooden construction techniques, with Western methods incorporated in parts of the roof framing⁴.”

One spot that visitors should definitely take a moment to appreciate is the spiral staircase that connects the second and third floors.
“The arabesque patterns⁵ on each step and the structure supported by a single central pillar are both interesting from an architectural and technical perspective. Due to cultural heritage preservation, the staircase can only be viewed from below, but it is definitely worth taking the time to appreciate.”

The Old Saiseikan Hospital Building, now the Yamagata City Local History Museum, is still enjoyed by the local community through exhibits of medical and local history materials. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Yamagata City in the northern region of Japan, be sure to stop by and admire its unique design and the exceptional traditional Japanese wooden construction techniques.

• 1.It is also referred to as “pseudo-Western-style architecture.” Traditional carpenters in the area built mainly wooden structures that resembled Western-style architecture.
• 2.A role similar to that of the prefectural governor at the time.
• 3.A structure with no walls between the columns, allowing air to flow freely.
• 4.The framework set up to support the roof.
• 5.A design featuring intertwined vines, symbolizing vitality, longevity, and prosperity.

By MOROHASHI Kumiko
Photo: ISHIZAWA Yoji

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