Former Fukuoka Prefecture Public Hall Distinguished Guest House, Historic guest house in Tenjin Central Park, Japan.
The former distinguished guest house of Fukuoka Prefecture is a wooden structure with French Renaissance features, notable for its gray exterior, mint green walls, stone pillars, and octagonal spire. Inside, symmetrical staircases connect multiple rooms, each with distinct ceiling treatments.
The structure was built in 1910 for a regional exhibition and originally served to welcome notable visitors. It later functioned as a courthouse, fisheries school, and government administration building before becoming a designated Important Cultural Property.
The building showcases French Renaissance forms that were uncommon in Japan during the Meiji period. Visitors see the original gray and mint green exterior today, which reflects the European influence of that era on local architecture.
The guest house sits in the central Tenjin area and is easily accessible on foot with clear approaches to the entrance. A visit takes about an hour to explore the rooms carefully and appreciate the craftsmanship details.
The double spiral staircase with symmetrical design is unusual for Japanese buildings of this period and reveals European design principles. Such two-sided staircase arrangements were rarely seen in early 1900s Japanese architecture.
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