Joshi Kaikan | kokosil Castle Town Yamatokoriyama

Built in 1908 as Nara’s first prefectural library, it was moved in 1968 from Nara Park (now to the south of the prefectural office) to its current location, inside Koriyama Castle grounds. The wooden two-story main building is in the style of irimoya-zukuri (hip-and-gable roof construction) with a main tower with chidori-habu (plover gable), and has wings on each side for a symmetrical formation. It is a wooden framed building with a Japanese-style façade and western interior furnishings. The building’s exterior incorporates many designs of traditional Japanese architecture. It is a particularly significant building of the few modern Japanese architecture remaining in Nara. Although it is used for the city’s study guidance classes on weekdays, the first floor is open to the public on weekends and holidays. The exterior is open for viewing every day.