Tsuruga · KanegasakiNo.1315★★Open in map →

Tsuruga Red Brick Warehouse

— A Meiji oil depot on the old port

historyOff the trail — and worth it

Meiji-era brick oil warehouses at the edge of Tsuruga Port, now home to a diorama hall of the old port and a restaurant. The brickwork outside tells as much of their story as the displays inside.

FromTsuruga Station
~11 minLoop bus from Tsuruga Station
Get off atAkarenga Soko (Gurutto Tsuruga loop bus)
From there
Tsuruga Red Brick Warehouse

Directions ↗

The sweet spot

This is a regular stop on Tsuruga's sightseeing loop, not a hidden spot. Most people come for the diorama or for a meal. The outside walls, which carry much of the buildings' own story, are the part that gets walked past.

Where it is

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What to look for — in walking order

Diorama hallYasunorihayashi / CC BY-SA 4.0

KiHa 28 railcara diesel railcar that once ran on the Obama Line, displayed outdoors on the north side
Painted numerals over a doorwaywhite figures the city museum reads as a trace of sorting oil cases landed at the port
Diorama hallTsuruga's port and railways from late Meiji to early Showa, rebuilt in model form
Restaurant buildingthe second warehouse, where meals are served inside the brick shell
Brick wall and open gardenthe wall registered along with the warehouses, and the open ground on the south side

How to actually get there

Tsuruga Station → Akarenga Soko stop (Gurutto Tsuruga loop bus, sightseeing route, ~11 min).
Start with the KiHa 28 railcar on the north side, then look for the painted numerals over the doorway.
Go into the diorama hall, then on to the restaurant building beside it.
Walk along the brick wall and the open garden, then take the loop bus back to the station.

Loop bus from Tsuruga Station: Tsuruga Station →(Gurutto Tsuruga loop bus, sightseeing route)→ Akarenga Soko stop, about 11 minutes. The city's flat fare of 200 yen applies, and transport IC cards are accepted. Not every run on the loop calls at the warehouses, so check the city timetable first.
Back on the same loop: From the warehouse stop the bus carries on around the loop and returns to Tsuruga Station, so there is no separate return stop to find. It runs only in the daytime, and the last call at the warehouses comes in the late afternoon. Check the time before you go inside.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

The warehouses stand at the eastern end of Tsuruga Port, where the Kanegasaki pier meets the shore. Two matching brick buildings sit side by side, each a single storey under a tiled gable roof. Each one measures about 35 metres long and 15 metres wide. The brick is laid in English bond, and the piers stand on the outside so that the inner walls stay flat for stacking goods. Both buildings and their brick wall are registered together as national cultural properties. They are among the few industrial buildings left from the modern port's early years.

How to enjoy it

Walk the outside walls before you go in. The diorama hall then shows the port these warehouses were built to serve. Kanegasaki Ryokuchi, the stop before this one on the loop, is a short walk away and pairs easily with it.

Background & history

The warehouses were built in 1905 by the New York–based Standard Oil Company to store oil, to a design by a foreign engineer. They stood between the quays and the old Kanegasaki Station. At the time, Tsuruga was a gateway between Japan and Europe. The buildings were later used to store kelp. In 2009 the warehouses and their brick wall were registered as national Tangible Cultural Properties, and in 2015 they reopened as a visitor facility.

Before you go

Cash: The diorama hall is the only part that charges admission; check the current amount on the official site. The restaurant building is free to walk into. The loop bus takes cash or transport IC cards.
Good to know: The warehouses close on Wednesdays (the following day when Wednesday is a public holiday) and over the New Year. The diorama hall closes earlier in the day than the restaurant building.
Another way: By car, Tsuruga Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway is about 10 minutes away, and the site has its own car park.
After you get off: The Akarenga Soko stop is right beside the warehouses. Step off the bus and the brick buildings are in front of you.