Bank of Iwate Red Brick Building

The Iwate Bank Red Brick Building was constructed in 1911 (Meiji 44) as the head office of Morioka Bank and continued operating as the Nakabashi Branch until 2004. It was designed by Kingo Tatsuno and his student, Morioka-born Banji Kasai. The design comes from the Tatsuno-Kasai Architectural Office—also known for work associated with Tokyo Station—so the building’s appearance feels notably similar. Its beautiful exterior preserves the atmosphere of Renaissance-style Western architecture. Inside, you can learn about the architects’ achievements while exploring the building. The facility is divided into a free "Iwate Bank Zone" and a paid "Morioka Bank Zone." The paid zone allows visitors to tour spaces such as the reception room and executive offices. Long cherished locally as the "red-brick bank," it no longer functions as a bank today. After approximately three and a half years of preservation and restoration work, it reopened to the public as a facility on July 17, 2016 (Heisei 28).