Ōmuta City Hall
Ōmuta became an official city in 1917, but its first city hall burned down in 1933. The current city hall was built from reinforced concrete and finished in 1936.
The city hall’s exterior was originally tiled with the same kind of vertically scored brick as used on Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. The building’s design, a central tower with two symmetrical wings, is typical of prewar Japanese government buildings.
The first floor is partially below ground, and the official entrance is on the second floor. The central staircase is made of marble. The mayor’s office and chambers are on the third floor. The fourth floor was the location of the VIP room, which has a vaulted ceiling, curtain boxes, and mantelpieces decorated with South Asian-influenced designs. The VIP room has been converted into offices for city workers.
During World War II, much of Ōmuta was razed by an American firebombing raid that targeted the coal mine and factories. One bomb hit the city hall building but did not explode. The remains of a machine-gun pedestal and an air surveillance enclosure can still be seen on the building’s roof.
Ōmuta City Hall is registered as a national Tangible Cultural Property.