Yawata Steel Works

Yawata Steel Works is a sprawling industrial complex in Yahatahigashi-ku that brings together steel production, repair workshops, and administrative buildings near Kitakyushu harbor. The site includes several production units spread across the harbor zone, as well as historic red brick administrative structures that remain in operation today.

The site was founded in 1901 as an imperial steelworks and marked the beginning of modern steel industry in Japan, with support from German engineers in planning and technology. Over the following decades the complex grew into one of the largest production sites in Asia and played a central role in the industrial development of the country.

The red brick office building blends Western industrial design with local building methods, topped with a roof made of traditional Japanese tiles. The workshops and administrative structures now stand as symbols of the country's modernization effort and draw visitors interested in this chapter of development.

A designated viewing area is located at the former head office building and can be reached on foot from JR Space World station in about ten minutes. Access to the site itself is heavily restricted, as large parts of the complex still function as an active industrial facility.

The steel framed repair workshops preserve original components from German manufacturers dating to the founding period and rank among the earliest steel constructions in the country. Some of these components were manufactured in Europe and shipped to Japan, where they were assembled on site.

Location: Yahatahigashi-ku

Inception: 1901

Part of: Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining

GPS coordinates: 33.90280,130.83000

Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:40