The Former Numata Savings Bank is a historic building in Kaminomachi, Numata City, Gunma Prefecture. Built during the late Meiji period, it is an excellent example of giyofu architecture, a Japanese style that incorporates Western architectural elements.
The building is also an important reminder of the financial history of the Tone-Numata region. Today, it stands as one of the central historic buildings in the Taisho Romance Area, where visitors can explore a collection of preserved and relocated architecture from the Meiji and Taisho periods.
Numata Savings Bank was established on November 7, 1898. It initially opened in Shimonomachi, Numata Town, before relocating to Zaimokucho in 1903.
The building that survives today is believed to have been completed around 1908 as the bank’s new headquarters.
As the local financial industry developed, the bank underwent a series of name changes and mergers. It became Numata Commercial Bank in 1921, merged with Tone Bank in 1926, and later became part of Gunma Daido Bank. Its history was eventually carried forward into today’s Gunma Bank.
The building therefore provides a tangible link to the development of regional finance and commerce in Numata.
In 1921, the bank changed its name to Numata Commercial Bank, and in 1926 it merged with Tone Bank. The building continued to be used as a head office for some time, but its use as a bank ended in 1934.
Afterward, the building served a variety of community functions, including as a public employment office, a land improvement district office, and an office for a dairy farming cooperative.
On July 3, 1984, it was designated an Important Cultural Property of Gunma Prefecture. At the time, it was the only surviving Meiji-period Western-style building in Numata City.
As the building deteriorated with age, a detailed dismantling and architectural survey was carried out in 2012. The investigation revealed valuable information about the original interior layout and architectural details used when the building functioned as a bank.
Preservation at its original location in Zaimokucho was initially considered. However, the site was too small, so the building was relocated as part of Numata City’s central-city revitalization program.
In 2016, the building was carefully dismantled, relocated, and reconstructed along present-day National Route 120 in Kaminomachi.
As many of the original materials as possible were reused, while the original colors, construction techniques, and architectural details were carefully reproduced. The restoration allows visitors to appreciate the character of the building as it appeared during its early years.
The Former Numata Savings Bank is a two-story wooden building with a hipped roof covered with traditional ceramic roof tiles. It measures approximately 7.3 meters wide and 10.9 meters deep, giving it a well-balanced and compact appearance.
The building combines Japanese and Western influences in the style known as giyofu architecture. The exterior is finished with plaster, while the western side incorporates traditional kura-style earthen construction.
One of the most impressive features is the detailed plasterwork on the exterior. The ceiling of the projecting entrance porch is decorated with beautiful kote-e, decorative plaster relief created with a traditional plastering trowel.
The ceiling of the manager’s room on the second floor is decorated with Kin-kara-kami, an embossed decorative paper traditionally used in prestigious interiors. These details convey the sense of craftsmanship and refinement associated with an important financial institution of the period.
The interior is open to the public, allowing visitors to see spaces such as the former customer waiting area and banking counter and experience how the building was organized when it operated as a bank.
The area around the relocated Former Numata Savings Bank has been developed through Numata City’s central-city revitalization program. Historic buildings have been brought together to create the Taisho Romance Area, a distinctive district where visitors can experience the architectural atmosphere of modern Japan.
The area contains several valuable buildings dating from the late Meiji period through the Taisho period, creating an attractive walking route through Numata’s architectural heritage.
The Former Toki Family Western-Style Residence was originally built in 1924 in Hiroo, Tokyo, as the residence of Viscount Toki Akira.
Its design reflects the influence of Jugendstil, the German form of Art Nouveau. Distinctive features include the steeply pitched roof, ox-eye windows, and natural-stone foundations. The building is registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property and its interior is open to visitors for a fee.
The Former Numata Church Memorial Hall was built in 1914 and is one of the oldest surviving Christian church buildings in Gunma Prefecture.
Its weatherboard exterior, tall vertical windows, and steeply pitched roof are characteristic of Western-style architecture from the Taisho period. The building was relocated to the Taisho Romance Area, where it contributes to the district’s historic streetscape.
The Former Kume Family Western-Style Residence was built around 1912 in Yoyogi-Uehara, Tokyo. It is said to have been used as a reception house associated with the Kishu-Tokugawa family.
The building was relocated to Numata in 2023, adding another important example of early modern Western-style residential architecture to the district.
The Ubukata Memorial Library is a literary museum dedicated to the achievements of tanka poet Tatsue Ubukata. It houses books, documents, and other materials related to Japanese poetry and literature.
Tatsue Ubukata was one of the leading female tanka poets of postwar Japan. Visitors can learn about her life and work while exploring the wider literary and cultural heritage of Numata.
The Taisho Romance Area offers a convenient way to explore several historic buildings in one walking route. Combination tickets are available for multiple facilities, and the area is also included in some sightseeing bus tours.
For visitors interested in modern Japanese architecture, local history, and cultural heritage, the district provides an opportunity to see how Japanese buildings evolved through the Meiji and Taisho periods.
The Former Numata Savings Bank is more than a preserved historic building. Its story reflects the development of the local economy, changes in Japanese society, and Numata City’s continuing efforts to preserve and make use of its architectural heritage.
When visiting Numata, take time to explore the Former Numata Savings Bank and the surrounding Taisho Romance Area on foot, and discover the atmosphere of a historic Japanese town shaped by the transition from the Meiji era to the modern age.
Approximately 10 minutes by car from the Numata Interchange on the Kan-Etsu Expressway, about 3 km.
From JR Numata Station, take a bus for approximately 6 minutes and get off at the Kaminomachi stop. The building is about a 1-minute walk from the bus stop.