Former Kobe Municipal Raw Silk Conditioning House, Historic government building in Onohama-chō, Japan.
The Former Kobe Municipal Raw Silk Conditioning House is a modern building erected in 1927 in the Shinkō district, facing west onto National Route 174, Japan's shortest national highway. It stands opposite Kobe Customs and north of the Shinkō Trade Hall. Since 2012 it has formed the Old Building of the Design Creative Center Kobe (KIITO), together with the adjacent former National Raw Silk Conditioning House.
The building was constructed in 1927 when Kobe was a major center of Japanese silk trade. It was part of efforts to standardize silk quality and establish Japan as a reliable exporter to global markets.
Since August 2012 the building has been used as the old wing of Design Creative Center Kobe (KIITO), together with the neighbouring former National Raw Silk Conditioning House. Its first floor holds a café, a creative studio and project space 1A, while the second floor houses a raw silk inspection gallery, gallery C and a library. The name KIITO comes from the Japanese word for raw silk, ito.
The building faces west onto National Route 174, Japan's shortest national highway. From Port Liner Trade Center Station it is a five-minute walk; from JR, Hanshin or Hankyu Sannomiya stations about twenty minutes on foot. It stands east of Kobe Customs and north of the Shinko Trade Hall, and is open as part of the Design Creative Center Kobe (KIITO).
The building faces Japan's shortest national highway, Route 174, which runs just west of the site. Since August 2012 it has been used as the old wing of the Design Creative Center Kobe, known as KIITO, together with the neighbouring former National Raw Silk Conditioning House. The city bought the property after the planned sale of the site raised concern about its future.
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