Former Mizusawa Prefectural Office

This building served as the governmental office of Mizusawa Prefecture from 1872, though the prefecture itself lasted only five years before being dissolved. Later it functioned as a branch court dealing with land and property issues. Reconstructed in 1989 to reflect its 1889 appearance, the building blends a Japanese-style gabled entrance with a Western-influenced wooden main structure typical of Meiji-era public buildings. Inside, a recreated courtroom and administrative office illustrate how citizens once submitted paperwork by standing below the clerk's elevated window. Informative displays and old photographs trace the building's changing roles over the decades.