Former Moji Customs House

Built in 1912 in the Neo-Renaissance style, with spired dormer windows and carved stone cornices designed by Meiji-era architect Tsumaki Yorinaka. The building reflects Moji's peak as a trading port, when it handled more than a twentieth by value of all basic commodities imported into Japan. Bombed in 1945, it stood empty for decades before being restored in 1995 as part of the Moji Retro historic district. The interior brickwork shows deliberately charred wooden blocks inserted at regular intervals, used to anchor framing and treated against rot. Today the building houses a small cafe and exhibits on customs enforcement.