Bank of Japan Former Otaru Branch Financial Reference Center

A Renaissance-style building with five green domes peeking out, it originally served as the Otaru Branch of the Bank of Japan.

The Otaru Branch ceased operations in 2002, and the building opened as the Bank of Japan’s Financial Reference Center in 2003.

The majestic building was designed by Kingo Tatsuno, who designed the red-brick Tokyo Station, and was completed in 1912.

It is a two-story building made of piled bricks and mortar, with a spiral staircase made in England attached to the east tower from which you can view the city of Otaru.

The lobby and sales counter are made of Akasaka marble from Gifu Prefecture, the ceiling of the sales room is made of steel framed from brick walls to create a wide atrium space, and the ceiling of the sales room is designed with the concept of a Blakiston’s fish owl, the guardian deity of the Ainu people, in mind. The ceiling of the sales room, which is a large atrium, was designed based on the concept of the Blakiston’s fish owl, the guardian deity of the Ainu people, and the interior walls alone feature a total of 12 plastic statues.

The museum is divided into three main exhibition areas: the Historical Exhibition Zone, the Business Exhibition Zone, and the Multimedia Corner. The Historical Exhibition Zone features panel displays on the history of the Bank of Japan, as well as displays of actual banknotes from World War II onward, and a section where visitors can view miniatures of the Bank of Japan’s former Otaru Branch and other buildings from the “Wall Street of the North” era.

The Business Zone introduces the Bank’s main business activities. Panel displays introduce the Bank’s banknote issuing process and financial system. In addition, a safe that was actually used is open to the public, and visitors can experience the weight of 100 million yen by lifting it up in the “Lift 100 Million Yen” corner. Visitors can observe the movement of money and the economy based on the numbers lined up.

In the multimedia corner, there is a video corner with a large screen where visitors can learn various financial knowledge, and an Internet corner where visitors can browse the Bank of Japan’s website and take the “Bank of Japan Quiz” to test their knowledge of the Bank.