Karatsu City Museum of History and Folklore (Former Mitsubishi Joint-Stock Company Karatsu Branch Main Building)

This Western-style building, located in a residential area of Karatsu City, is known as the Mitsubishi Residence (Mitsubishi Goten). Built in 1908 (Meiji 41), it is a two-story wooden Western-style structure that was designated as an Important Cultural Property of Saga Prefecture in 1980. Although it has been closed to the public since 2003 due to aging, it continues to attract visitors with its unique historical value and presence. In recent years, its popularity has grown again as it became part of the pilgrimage sites featured in the anime Zombie Land Saga.

The building embodies the history of Karatsu’s close connection with the coal industry. Since the 18th century, Karatsu flourished with coal mining in the Kitahata area, and in 1788 coal became a monopoly product of the Karatsu domain. During the Bakumatsu and Meiji Restoration periods, Karatsu’s coal production once accounted for one-third of Japan’s output, making it a key energy hub. In the Meiji era, Mitsubishi entered the coal business in Karatsu, constructing a railway from Yamamoto to Myōken in 1898 specifically for coal transport. The company gradually acquired coal mines, monopolizing the Karatsu coalfield. By the Taishō period, Karatsu’s coal industry reached its peak, and due to its strategic port location, even luxury ocean liners circumnavigating the world made calls at Karatsu Port.

The location of the building was carefully chosen, facing Karatsu Bay with wide verandas on the north and east sides that overlook the port. At the time, coal transported by rail was stockpiled here before being continuously shipped out, creating a scene of prosperity. The land itself was reclaimed from the sea through a project initiated by Karatsu Village, later completed by banker Ōshima Kotarō due to funding shortages. Mitsubishi then purchased the site, reinforced the seawall and breakwaters, and completed the building in 1908. It first served as the Karatsu branch office of Mitsubishi Joint-Stock Company’s Nagasaki branch, and later functioned as a Mitsubishi Trading branch and Mitsubishi Mining branch office until 1933, when Mitsubishi withdrew from the Karatsu coalfields, marking the end of its operational use.

Architecturally, the building combines Western and Japanese elements. The exterior walls and gables use a half-timbered style, with exposed wooden framing filled with plaster, while the overall roof adopts the traditional Japanese irimoya style. It also features a spire and chidori hafu (gable ornament), giving the structure a dignified appearance. The entrance includes a porte-cochère with three gabled eaves, enhancing its grandeur. The design came from Mitsubishi’s Marunouchi Architectural Office, and the plans bear the name of Uchida Yoshizō, who later became a leading figure in modern Japanese architecture.

Today, although the “Mitsubishi Residence” is no longer in use as an office, it continues to quietly convey Karatsu’s once-thriving coal industry and remains an important symbol of Japan’s industrial heritage and cultural memory.