The two "Red Brick Warehouses" lined up on the east side of Tsuruga Port were built in 1905, designed by foreign engineers as storage for imported petroleum. Currently, the North Building serves as a "Diorama Hall" for railways and the port, and the South Building serves as a "Restaurant Hall" where you can dine while enjoying the red brick space, offering the charms of Tsuruga.
Tsuruga Port prospered as a hub of international trade from the Meiji era to the early Showa era. In the scenery where traces of that time remain, the Red Brick Warehouse stands out conspicuously. In the North Building's "Diorama Hall," a magnificent diorama meticulously recreating the cityscape of that time allows you to feel a sense of nostalgia.
A Building Symbolizing the Prosperity of Pre-war Tsuruga
From the Meiji era to the early Showa era, Tsuruga prospered as a city with an international port connecting Japan and the Eurasian continent. The Red Brick Warehouse, a symbol of that era, was built in 1905 by Standard Oil of New York as a warehouse for petroleum storage.
It is said to have been designed by foreign engineers, and the bricks were imported from the Netherlands and piled up. A characteristic feature is that pillars are not visible on the inner walls because walls are set inside the pillars. During the war, it was used as a military supply warehouse, and after the war, as a food storage warehouse. In 2009, it was designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan.
A Giant Diorama Recreating the Appearance of Tsuruga in the Past
After reinforcement and restoration work in 2015, the North Building is now used as the "Diorama Hall" and the South Building as the "Restaurant Hall." The "Diorama Hall" features a massive diorama of approximately 27 x 7.5 meters, recreating the cityscape from the late Meiji to early Showa periods at a scale of approximately 1/80. It is a nostalgic diorama where model trains, self-propelled ships, and cars run freely through the Tsuruga of the past.
The restaurants and cafes in the South Building are characterized by their generous use of local ingredients. There are unique shops such as an Italian restaurant offering creative dishes, a seafood restaurant, and a cafe that also offers takeout and sells Fukui's famous products and specialties.
SPOT INFORMATION
Facility Name
Tsuruga Aka Renga (Diorama and Restaurants)
Address
914-0072
4-1 Kanegasaki-cho, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture
General: 400 yen (Group: 320 yen) Elementary school students and younger: 200 yen (Group: 160 yen) *Free for children under 3. Groups are 20 people or more.
