Maizuru Red Brick Park

In short

A park that makes use of the red brick warehouses of the former Imperial Japanese Navy's Maizuru Naval District, which held its grand opening in 2012. Of the warehouses built between 1901 and 1921, the eight in the park were designated as National Important Cultural Properties in 2008 under the name "Former Maizuru Naval District Warehouse Facilities."

• ​Building No. 5​​: Built in 1918, this is the largest warehouse of the Maizuru Naval District. Because steam locomotives used to run directly inside, the doors and ceilings are tall, an electric crane remains as it was back then, and traces of railway tracks are visible on the floor
• ​Different Uses for Each Building​​: Building No. 2 is the Maizuru Municipal Commemoration Hall, Building No. 3 houses Maizuru Chie-gura with souvenir shops, and Building No. 4 is the Red Brick Workshop, a creative hub for craftsmanship. The black color remaining on the exterior of Building No. 3 is a wartime remnant, painted to make the building less conspicuous
• ​Red Brick Road​​: In front of Buildings No. 6 through No. 8, a 150-meter-long transport road paved with stone and brick remains in its original form, and it is frequently used as a filming location for movies and television dramas set in pre-war Japan

History and Highlights

​Maizuru Red Brick Park​ is a park that makes use of the red brick warehouses of the former Imperial Japanese Navy's Maizuru Naval District. These red brick warehouses were built one after another between 1901 and 1921 as storage facilities for the naval district's munitions and other goods. Eight warehouses line an area stretching about 500 meters from east to west within the park. Among them, Buildings No. 1 through No. 5 were renovated, and the park officially held its grand opening as Maizuru Red Brick Park in 2012.

Of the 12 red brick warehouses remaining in Maizuru, the eight in the park were designated as National Important Cultural Properties in 2008 under the name "Former Maizuru Naval District Warehouse Facilities." The 12 warehouses include four belonging to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and one of the eight designated warehouses is the Third Torpedo Warehouse, which was designated alongside the other seven. In 2016, they were also certified as part of the Japan Heritage story, "Naval Districts: Yokosuka, Kure, Sasebo, Maizuru – Cities Where You Can Experience the Vibrancy of Japan's Modernization."

Sights and Experiences

• ​Different Uses for Each Building​​: Buildings No. 2 through No. 4 were built in 1902 as naval ordnance warehouses. Today, Building No. 2 serves as the Maizuru Municipal Commemoration Hall with an open-ceiling brick hall, Building No. 3 houses Maizuru Chie-gura with souvenir shops, and Building No. 4 functions as the Red Brick Workshop, a creative hub for craftsmanship. The black color remaining on the exterior of Building No. 3 is a wartime remnant, originally painted to make the building less conspicuous.
• ​Building No. 5, the Largest Warehouse​​: Built in 1918, this is the largest warehouse of the Maizuru Naval District. Because steam locomotives used to run directly inside, the doors and ceilings are tall, an electric crane remains as it was back then, and traces of railway tracks are visible on the floor. When no events are taking place, visitors can freely explore the interior.
• ​Red Brick Road​​: Buildings No. 6 through No. 8 on the west side of the park were built in 1902 as supply stores and stand in a single row. In front of the warehouses, a 150-meter-long transport road paved with stone and brick remains in its original form, and it is frequently used as a filming location for movies and television dramas set in pre-war Japan.

Tips for Exploring

The exteriors of the warehouses can be viewed freely. Building No. 1, situated at the eastern end of the park, is the Red Brick Museum, housed in a former torpedo warehouse where visitors can enjoy exhibits about bricks. From the park, the "Navy-Related Port Sightseeing Boat" operates, allowing visitors to tour Maizuru Bay in about 30 minutes and view JMSDF vessels up close from the sea. On land, you can combine your trip with a walk about 540 meters west-northwest to the JMSDF Kitasui Pier and further to the Navy Memorial Hall, though both have specific days on which visitors are admitted.