I went to see the preview of the historic 'Former Mizuho Bank Tokushima Branch,' a building constructed about 100 years ago, which was held at Machi★Asobi Vol.30. Here's my report.
On May 11, 2026, ufotable, the animation production company that produces 'Machi★Asobi,' a twice-yearly anime, manga, and game-related event in Tokushima Prefecture, announced that it had acquired the historic building ' Former Mizuho Bank Tokushima Branch ' in Tokushima City. A preview of this former Mizuho Bank Tokushima Branch was held at '
[ufotable] Acquires the historic building 'Former Mizuho Bank Tokushima Branch' in Tokushima | ufotable
https://www.ufotable.com/news/article/2756/
Open House for the Former Mizuho Bank Tokushima Branch
https://www.machiasobi.com/booth/627/
The former Mizuho Bank Tokushima Branch is located here. The address is '1-24 Higashisenba-cho, Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture,' and it is behind Shinmachibashi Higashi Park, which is also used as a stage for Machi★Asobi.
The former Mizuho Bank Tokushima Branch on the day of the preview. The signs and other decorations have been removed, but the imposing design that evokes a sense of history remains. The building was originally constructed in 1929 as the head office of the Awa Agricultural and Industrial Bank, and later became the Mizuho Bank Tokushima Branch after passing through the Nippon Kangyo Bank and Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank.
A line of people waiting for the preview had formed in the parking lot behind the former Mizuho Bank Tokushima branch.
The viewing time during the preview was 10 minutes per session.
We entered the bank. The building consists of a large hall and several rooms. This is the central main hall. Since the desks and other equipment had been removed, we were able to see the entire hall.
The ceiling looks like this. It has Western-style decorations. The former Mizuho Bank Tokushima Branch is said to be one of the representative buildings of the early Showa period in the prefecture, incorporating Italian Renaissance style.
According to historical documents, the floor plan remains largely unchanged from when the building was completed. Looking at postcards from that time, it's clear that the exterior and interior largely retain their original appearance from when it was built in 1929.
At Chorakuso, there are commemorative postcards from the time of the completion of the former Awa Agricultural and Industrial Bank, which we were able to tour today, as well as floor plans and detailed postcards.
#Machiasobi https://t.co/ib330p4C8L pic.twitter.com/iRrh6Py0Cd — Chorakuso (Former Tomimoto Residence) • Former Yamase Post Office (@kenchiku_youkan) May 16, 2026
A precious building that survived air raids.
The building's ownership was initially vacant, but I'm so happy that a strong, promising company has acquired it and it will continue to exist.
In some places on the wall, layers of paint had been applied, and the thickness of the paint gave a sense of the history of the former Mizuho Bank Tokushima Branch, which had been in use for over 90 years.
The branch itself relocated in front of JR Tokushima Station in January 2024. Since then, this former Mizuho Bank Tokushima branch has apparently not been used. This is a magnificent, massive pillar made of stone.
I got really close to the pillar.
The walls are also constructed with impressive stonework.
There is a corridor on the second floor. We were also able to view several rooms.
This is one of the rooms that could be viewed on the first floor. It's a Western-style room with a red carpet and solid wooden construction, giving it a very dignified and luxurious atmosphere. It may have been used as a reception room or something similar.
Next to it is the vault. A huge handle is attached to the metal door.
Its thickness is estimated to be about 30 cm.
This is what the inside looks like.
Furthermore, during the viewing, we were able to go up to the corridor on the second floor. The handrails on the stairs were also made of stone, giving it a real sense of history.
A view looking down the stairs from above.
The corridor on the second floor looks like this.
You can enjoy a panoramic view of the main hall from the corridor.
The handrails along the corridor are roughly waist-high, but safety is further enhanced by the installation of acrylic panels.
From the corridor on the second floor, you can also view the hallway in front of the room. The electric lights hanging from the high ceiling give a sense of the era.
On the second floor, we were able to view a Western-style room with a fireplace.
Adjacent to this Western-style room was a Japanese-style room.
The viewing was over in exactly 10 minutes. When I went outside, a giant tapestry was being hung up.
When I visited in the afternoon, there were tapestries hanging up featuring illustrations
The tapestry for 'Demon Slayer: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Infinity Castle Arc - Chapter 1: Akaza's Return' is vertically oriented. Apparently, a tapestry for 'Mahoutsukai no Yoru' (Witch on the Holy Night) is also planned to be hung next to it.
The first illustrations created for the 30th anniversary of the 'Tales of' series featured Cress and Mint from 'Tales of Phantasia' and Milla and Jude from 'Tales of Xillia.'
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