The is a historical building and a wedding venue, located in Nakajima Park,

Chūō-ku, Sapporo is one of the ten wards in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Chūō-ku means "central ward" in Japanese. City administration and entertainment facilities are centred in this ward. History During Meiji Period, Sousei river, precursor of Susukino distri ...

Hokkaidō is the second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by railway via the Seikan Tunnel. The ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. The building has previously been a hotel, guest house, event venue, and military camp. Currently, the Hōheikan is registered as one of the National Important Cultural Properties, and is used as a wedding venue, restaurant and meeting facility. The building is run by the Sapporo city.

History

Administered by the Hokkaidō Development Commission (Kaitaku shi), the construction of the Hōheikan was started in 1879 in the Nishi 1-chōme area of Odori Park. It was completed in November 1880, and opened in December of the same year. The purpose of the construction was to construct an accommodation for the other countries' engineers developing the primitive Hokkaidō prefecture. The building was officially opened as a hotel in August 1881, and invited the

Emperor Meiji , posthumously honored as , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the List of emperors of Japan, traditional order of succession, reigning from 1867 until his death in 1912. His reign is associated with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which ...

as the first guest. He stayed in the Hōheikan for four days. Winning fame as a hotel at which the Emperor had stayed, the Hōheikan was used for many ceremonies and as a hotel for officials. In 1882, the Hokkaidō Development Commission was demolished, and after the ownership of the Hōheikan was moved, the

Imperial Household Ministry The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial Family, and the keeping of the Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century AD until the Second World War, it was known ...

has lent the building to Sapporo. Followed by the Emperor Meiji, the

Emperor Taishō , posthumously honored as , was the 123rd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 1912 until his death in 1926. His reign, known as the Taishō era, was characterized by a liberal and democratic shift in ...

stayed in the Hōheikan in 1911, so as the

Emperor Hirohito , Posthumous name, posthumously honored as , was the 124th emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, from 25 December 1926 until Death and state funeral of Hirohito, his death in 1989. He remains Japan's longest-reigni ...

in 1922. As the city of Sapporo grew, the demand for the event venues increased. Sapporo city begged the Imperial Household Ministry for moving the ownership of the building to Sapporo, and in 1921, the Hōheikan was yielded to Sapporo city. In 1927, the building was enlarged by constructing new rooms on its back side, and the Hōheikan was used as the musical venue. Along with the beginning of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the Hōheikan functioned as the facility for the Japanese Northern District Army, and after Japan lost the war, it was confiscated by the American army and used as their accommodation. After the American army moved to the Camp Crowford, which was a camp constructed in current Minami-ku, Sapporo, the Hōheikan was returned to Sapporo, and used as the community centre. The Hōheikan was pulled down in order to move to Nakajima Park, and in 1958, the new building was completed at the current place, and opened as the wedding hall and restaurant. In 1964, the Hōheikan was registered as one of the Important Cultural Properties. The building has been repaired and renovated between 1983 and 1986. The Crown Prince Naruhito visited the Hōheikan in 1986.

Overview

The Hōheikan is currently the only building used as a wedding hall among the Important Cultural Properties. The building is also the oldest wooden hotel building in existence in Japan. The architecture of the Hōheikan comprises a few styles. The whole building was constructed in the American style, but the

balcony A balcony (from , "scaffold") is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor. They are commonly found on multi-level houses, apartme ...

and its accompaniments at the front of the building was constructed in European style. The semicircle roof at the centre of the building has a sculpture, a Japanese traditional fish sculpture usually seen at the roof of Japanese shrines and temples. The colour

Ultramarine Ultramarine is a deep blue pigment which was originally made by grinding lapis lazuli into a powder. Its lengthy grinding and washing process makes the natural pigment quite valuable—roughly ten times more expensive than the stone it comes fr ...

blue, which was imported from Europe, is painted on the column and window frames. Used as a wedding venue, the Hōheikan has held wedding ceremonies for over 20,000 couples, as of January 2004. The Hōheikan has also been a party venue. The restaurant and cafe are also housed in the building, and guests also enjoy snacks. The restaurant serves Japanese and French cuisine, and uses ingredients harvested in Hokkaidō prefecture.Gurunavi Hokkaido
/ref> The first floor of the building covers 522.94 m². The Hōheikan is located northwestward of the Nakajima Park, and is close to the other buildings in the park including the Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara. The nearest subway station is the Nakajima Kōen station, Namboku Line.

References

External links

Welcome Sapporo - Hōheikan

Hōheikan Official Website (restaurant)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoheikan Buildings and structures in Chūō-ku, Sapporo Important Cultural Properties of Japan Tourist attractions in Sapporo Giyōfū architecture Defunct hotels in Japan Hokkaido Heritage