Nagoya Nagoya City Archives is located in Shirakabe 1-chome, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. It is a popular tourist spot due to its cute retro building and the fact that it has been used as a location for TV dramas.

In particular, the Municipal Archives will be used as a filming location for the NHK morning drama "Tiger with Wings" to be aired in the first half of 2024.
This time, we will be sharing with you all about the charms of Nagoya City Archives.

What is Nagoya City Archives?

The City Archives is located about an 8-minute walk from Shiyakusho Station on Nagoya Municipal Subway Meijo Line. Admission is free, so anyone can feel free to come and visit.

It was originally constructed in 1922 (Taisho 11) as the Nagoya Court of Appeals District Court Building. This neo-baroque brick building has been designated an Important Cultural Property and is positioned as the starting point of the "The Cultural Path "established by Nagoya City.

By the way, Yoshiko Mibuchi, who was the model for the protagonist of "Tiger's Wings," Inozume Tomoko, was appointed the first female judge at the Nagoya District Court in 1952.

The Nagoya District Court building where he actually worked is now the Nagoya Municipal Archives.

Currently, as Nagoya City Archives, you can learn about political, economic, industrial, cultural, and other events from the birth of Nagoya City to the present day. This is the only place where you can see systematic exhibits on the history of Nagoya City itself, including exhibits on the collection and city administration.

You can learn how Nagoya city has expanded and how its industries have developed.

A powerful grand staircase that symbolizes neo-baroque architecture

The upper half of the pillar is made of plaster, which is called marble painting, but the lower part is marble. When you touch it, you can see that the coldness is different between the top and bottom, and the bottom marble part feels cold.

The upper half of the pillar is made of plaster, which is called marble painting, but the lower part is marble. When you touch it, you can see that the coldness is different between the top and bottom, and the bottom marble part feels cold.

The most attractive feature of the Municipal Archives is the impressive grand staircase that greets you as you enter the building! Such a magnificent staircase is rarely seen these days.

The building was built in the neo-baroque style that was popular in the latter half of the 19th century. The central staircase in particular is where the Neo-Baroque style is most evident. Its characteristics are: its symmetrical form, the atrium from the second floor to the third floor, and the brown and yellow two-tone makeup pillars lined up.

In addition, the stained glass in the front has a picture of a scale, which means a fair trial.

Climb the stairs and look up at the ceiling to see the stained glass dome ceiling. The stained glass on the ceiling uses the sun as a motif to express a fair trial.

In addition to being used as a shooting location for pre-wedding and post-wedding photography, the grand staircase is often used as a location.

<Dramas filmed in the past>

・NHK Morning Drama "Wings on a Tiger" in the first half of 2024
・Movie "Come Kiss Me at Midnight"
・Movie "The King of Apologies (Mantan Kingdom Guest House)"
・Drama "Boys Over Flowers 2 (Domyoji Residence)"
・Drama "The Magnificent Family"
・Drama "Summer of Bureaucrats"
・Saturday Drama Special "Lose and Win: Shigeru Yoshida, the Man Who Built the Postwar Era"
・Special drama "Clouds Above the Hill"
・The movie "Katsuben!"

Luxurious conference room restored to its original state

conference room

First, let's go to the conference room on the third floor.

This is a conference room that has been restored to its original condition, with all of the furnishings, including the chandeliers, curtains, and carpets, all restored to their original appearance.

The carpet on the floor is hand-woven and called "Tenshin Dantsu," giving the room a strict atmosphere.

Moulding

Moulding

The ceiling is a folding ceiling that is one step higher than the surroundings. It is very luxuriously decorated.

A reproduction of the courtroom under the Meiji Constitution

The Municipal Archives was originally the Court of Appeals, and so it recreates a courtroom under the Meiji Constitution, a jury courtroom, and a courtroom under the current Constitution, and you can also learn about the history of the judicial system.

This exhibition room is a courtroom under the Meiji Constitution. The clothes and style are completely different from now! We were surprised that the prosecution was sitting in the same position as the judge.

Even though it is a reproduction, sitting in the chair makes us a little nervous.

Recreating the courtroom under the current legal system

Next, let's move on to the exhibition room. This is a reproduction of the courtroom from 1948, after the current constitution was enacted (1946). The uniforms worn during trials are not that different from today.

I'm sure there will be more scenes like this in "Tiger's Wings" in the future.
It's very interesting because you rarely get to see such valuable materials and exhibits!

The last is a reenactment of the jury court.

A jury court set up with the enactment of the jury law is reproduced.

Jury law is a trial in which a panel of jurors (not including a judge) randomly selected from the private sector confers to determine the facts of a criminal or civil case. Jury trials were held in Japan from 1928 to 1943.

The exhibits show the historical changes in the judicial system in a way that even children can understand, so it's very educational.

Corridor

Nagoya City Archives was a wonderful place to learn about the history of the judiciary and the courts from the history of Nagoya City. Above all, the beautiful neo-baroque architecture is worth a must-see!

This is a place you should definitely visit to experience valuable materials, exhibitions, and history.

After seeing the exhibition
Take a break in the Showa retro tea room

There is also a coffee shop in Nagoya City Archives. The location is on the left side of the central staircase. There is no big signboard, so if you don't pay attention, you might pass by.

Cafe au lait 300 yen / Matcha au lait 350 yen

Drinks start from 300 yen, which is a great value. You can relax comfortably in the old-fashioned interior that makes you feel as if you have slipped back in time from the Showa era.

Ogura toast and sandwiches are also popular, so be sure to visit the cafe when you visit tNagoya City Archives.

Be sure to check out the popular morning drama "Tiger with Wings"!

The TV serial "Wings on a Tiger" stars Sari Ito. It is an original story based on the true story of a woman who was the first in Japanese history to enter the legal profession. It depicts the passionate figures of legal professionals who have faced difficult times and carved out a path where none existed.

As mentioned earlier, the Municipal Archives is where Yoshiko Mibuchi, the model for the main character, actually worked. After watching the morning drama, why not visit the place where the main character spent her time and relive her memories of that time?

Be sure to visit the Municipal Archives.

Photography by Kanae Hori