Mengyo Kaikan Hall

The Cotton Industry Hall (Men’gyō Kaikan) is a Renaissance-style historic building in the Semba area of Chuo Ward, Osaka, designated a National Important Cultural Property in 2003. It was also recognized as a Modernization Industrial Heritage site in 2007. Construction began for this members-only club hall using a fund of 1.5 million yen—1 million yen donated in accordance with the will of Tsuneo Oka, then Managing Director of Toyobo, with an additional 500,000 yen donated by industry stakeholders. This amount is said to correspond to roughly 6–7 billion yen in today’s money. Designed by Osaka’s leading architect Setsu Watanabe, the building is steel-reinforced reinforced concrete, with six floors above ground and one basement level, and includes a rooftop tower structure. Because each room has a distinct style, guests and members can choose spaces to suit their preferences. Notable visitors have included the Lytton Commission, the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Helen Keller, and various Japanese prime ministers. Guided visits are held every month in two sessions on the 4th Saturday, by advance reservation only.