Sapporo's Red Brick Office to rent out space for weddings, events
Renovation work is under way inside the Former Hokkaido Government Office Building, known as the Red Brick Office, in Sapporo on April 16. (Takeo Kato)
SAPPORO—For the first time in its 137-year history, the Former Hokkaido Office Building, also called the Red Brick Office, will be available to rent by the public for weddings and other occasions.
The building, a symbol of Sapporo and a popular tourist destination, has been closed for renovations since October 2019. The reopening is scheduled for July 25.
Reconstruction of the building was completed in March, and interior exhibition facilities are now being upgraded.
The number of exhibition rooms has been increased, and a new section will be added to showcase famous places from various parts of Hokkaido and indigenous Ainu culture.
A restaurant will also be built inside the building.
Four rooms will be available for rent: two halls on the second floor and two rooms on the first basement floor. They were previously used as a meeting room and for storage by the Hokkaido government.
The Akarenga Garden at the front of the building will also be available for rent.
The facilities can be used for weddings, exhibitions, concerts and other events.
'We are opening the building to the public with a new look,' Ko Arakida, the building's manager, said. 'We want to make the people of Hokkaido feel attached to it and proud of it.'
This spring, the Hokkaido government adopted an ordinance to open the building to the public to promote residents' activities and tourism.
The building has been used only for government offices, and its rental has been limited to events requiring special permission.
Constructed in 1888, the Former Hokkaido Government Office Building is a Western-style architecture from the Meiji Era (1868-1912) and has been designated as a National Important Cultural Property.
The interior was destroyed by fire, but restoration work was completed in 1911.
The current renovation work is the first since 1968, almost half a century ago.
While aging floors and walls have been replaced, wooden fixtures and fittings used since the restoration in 1911 remain intact.
The four rooms available for rent each cover 224 square meters. Rental fees, including taxes, are 25,800 yen ($181) for half-day use (three hours) in the morning and afternoon, 34,400 yen for evening use (5 p.m.-9 p.m.), and 103,300 yen for one day (9 a.m.-9 p.m.)
The rental costs for the front garden are 53,100 yen for half-day use, 70,800 yen for evening use, and 212,400 yen for a full day.
Hokkaido residents and companies and organizations based in Japan's northernmost main island can receive a 30-percent discount for the two basement rooms and the front garden on weekdays.
For rental reservations and inquiries: https://www.hokkaido-redbrick.jp
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