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Small feature Kobe's charm in the museums

Ceiling made of many wooden pieces combined (picture)

Ceiling with beautiful curve made of wooden pieces, which suits taste of this building

This building used to be the chapel in "Harada forest" in the campus of Kwansei Gakuin University. This building is notable in its style of building and its beauty, in winter of the first anniversary since its opening, it began the procedure to be registered as tangible cultural property by Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

(stamp of chapel's appearance designed impressively)

Kobe City Museum of Literature outside

*History of chart [from Chapel to Museum]

1904	It was built in "Harada forest" in campus of Kwansei Gakuin University as a chapel. It was called "Blanch Memorial Chapel" because Mr. John Blanch,a banker from America, contributed to it.
1929	Though Kwansei Gakuin University moved to Nishinomiya, it was left benind as a chapel.
1940	Kobe city bought it.
1945	It was hit in an air raid on Kobe, its roof was burn out.
1950	Expo Kobe was held. The chapel was repaired and used as "the Inland Sea Sightseeing Building".
1955	"Art class for citizen" at the art room in Kitano elementary school moved to the chapel which already had been renovated and renewed.
1962	"U.S.A culture center in Kobe, which used to be CIE (Civil Information and Education Section) library" after war, moved in the chapel.
1967	"U.S.A. culture center" was closed. It was opened as Oji branch of Kobe City Center Library.
1972	It was renamed Kobe City Oji Library.
1989	Kobe City Oji Library was closed.
1993	It was opened as Kobe City Oji Gallery for Citizen. Design : Ichiryu-sha Vories design office Building : Its appearance was revived by Araigumi.Co. as of 1904. [point of renovation] A spire of the chapel and acanthus leaf pattern design of capital which had been lost in war damage were reproduced based on old pictures. Arched shaped ceiling called hammer beam truss was supported well by a beam of the iron and survived earthquake disaster. *Bricks with flaws burnt by an incendiary were partly used on the outer wall of the style called British heaping up.
1995	It received the prize for the best reform of BELCA Prize. (The commendation system of the excellent existing building.)
2000	Appointment as an important building to form scene (Kobe cityscape regulation)
2006	Kobe City Oji Gallery for Citizen was closed. It was renewed and newly opened as "Kobe City Museum of Literature".
2007	Council for culture of the country reports Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as a country registration tangible cultural property in "Kobe City Museum of Literature" December 7.