Onomichi City Office

The Seto Inland Sea, Japan’s largest inland sea, is known for its archipelagic beauty, woven from approximately 700 islands. Located at its center, Onomichi is a “miniature garden city” characterized by a distinctive landscape where temples, shrines, and homes are densely packed into a compact area—enclosed by the Onomichi Channel, a key maritime route since ancient times, and the Onomichi Three Mountains, home to historic temples—with a network of winding slopes and alleys crisscrossing the area. Known as the setting for numerous literary works and films, the city’s landscape was recently designated as a Japan Heritage site. It has also become a tourist destination attracting attention from both within Japan and abroad as a mecca for cyclists. As the core facility of this area, there was a need to create a city hall that serves as a hub for citizen services, a base for community activities, and a tourist destination open to visitors. Terraces offering views of the miniature-garden-like landscape were installed on the first and second floors as well as on the rooftop, connected by a pleasant open-air staircase. The design ensures the building remains open to residents and tourists not only during office hours but also after hours and on holidays. The goal was to create a city hall that, while serving as a municipal administrative facility, would also become a new landmark in Onomichi—a place where anyone would feel welcome to drop by.