Former Yokohama Rubber Memorial Hall of Hiratsuka (旧横浜ゴム平塚製造所記念館)

November 19, 2023

Former Yokohama Rubber Memorial Hall of Hiratsuka (旧横浜ゴム平塚製造所記念館)

On the west side of Hiratsuka Hachimangu Shrine stands the Former Yokohama Rubber Memorial Hall of Hiratsuka (旧横浜ゴム平塚製造所記念館), also known as Hachimanyama no Yokan (八幡山の洋館). The term yokan (洋館) refers to Western-style buildings constructed in Japan until World War II.

In 1905, the Imperial Japanese Navy, in partnership with three British companies—Armstrong, Nobel, and Chilworth (some sources say Vickers)—established the Japanese Explosives Company Limited. With its headquarters in London, the company acquired vast tracts of land in the towns of Hiratsuka and Ono (now part of Hiratsuka City) to construct ammunition plants and related facilities.

According to its official website, it was likely built as an office or residence for the British chief manager. However, the hall's brochure suggests it originally served as a cafeteria and assembly hall. After being destroyed by fire in 1911, it was rebuilt the following year.

In 1919, the Imperial Japanese Navy purchased the facilities, establishing the Naval Ammunitions Arsenal in April of that year. The hall was then repurposed as the Yokosuka Suikosha Navy Officers’ Club, which remained in use until the end of World War II in August 1945.

Remarkably, the building endured the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, though the fireplaces in each room were damaged and never restored. It also survived the bombing of Hiratsuka on July 16, 1945, which destroyed much of the city. After the war, the building was seized by the Occupation Forces.

In 1950, the building was sold to Yokohama Rubber and repurposed as a conference room facility. It continued to serve this function until 2004, when it was donated to the city of Hiratsuka. The building was then relocated to Hachimanyama Park (八幡山公園), where it currently stands as a preserved historical site. That same year, it was designated a tangible cultural property by the Japanese government.