Editor’s Note
This article outlines the redevelopment of Kobe’s historic Japan Pearl Hall site into a modern mixed-use complex. The plan aims to preserve cultural elements, including the Kobe Pearl Museum, while introducing new residential and commercial spaces.
Tokyo Tatemono Co., Ltd. is proceeding with the development of a mixed-use facility, including condominiums, exhibition spaces, and offices, on the site of the former “Japan Pearl Hall” in Kobe. The Japan Pearl Hall, a hub for Japan’s pearl industry, closed in March 2023 due to deterioration. Completion is scheduled for around June 2026, and the plan includes reopening facilities such as the “Kobe Pearl Museum” that was housed within the original hall.
The Japan Pearl Hall was originally constructed in 1952 by Hyogo Prefecture and others as a base for pearl industry inspection and trading. Designed by architect Yoshimitsu Mitsuyasu, it was highly regarded as a modernist architectural symbol of Kobe. The building had a site area of approximately 740 m² and was a 4-story above ground, 1-story below ground reinforced concrete structure.
Kobe is a major cluster for the pearl industry, handling the sorting and processing of about 70% of the pearls circulated globally. The Japan Pearl Hall housed the “Kobe Pearl Museum,” which displayed models and other exhibits to convey the appeal of pearls, as well as a “Bidding Venue” for pearl auctions.
Due to the advancing deterioration of the building and its facilities, a decision was made in 2014 to redevelop the site. Consequently, both the Japan Pearl Hall and the Kobe Pearl Museum closed in March 2023.
The redevelopment project involves constructing a building with 13 stories above ground, 1 basement level, and a total floor area of approximately 5,802 m². The Japan Pearl Exporters Association, which owned the original hall, will establish a new “Japan Pearl Hall” on the first and second floors of the new building, reopening facilities including the Kobe Pearl Museum and the bidding venue.
The site is located at 122-1 Higashimachi, 121-2 Itocho (lot numbers), Chuo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, within Kobe’s Old Foreign Settlement area. Demolition work on the former Japan Pearl Hall is currently underway.