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Ashiya Civic Center and Luna Hall (芦屋市民センター・ルナ・ホール)

Ashiya, Hyōgo Prefecture

Sources checked November 2026

“A reinforced-concrete municipal hall whose outer walls are covered in Japanese ivy, beside the Ashiya River.”

Year: 1964-1970
Architect: Junzō Sakakura
Type: Municipal hall and cultural centre
Access: Municipal hall in use; the interior can be seen during concerts and performances (City of Ashiya, November 2026)

Ashiya Civic Center houses Luna Hall, a municipal performance hall completed in spring 1970 beside a river lined with cherry trees. The building is of reinforced concrete, and Japanese ivy covers the outer walls of the hall. It was designed at the Osaka office of Junzō Sakakura's firm, by Fumitaka Nishizawa. In 1998 the Japan Institute of Architects gave it its 25-Year Award.

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In depth ≈ 1 min read

History

Ashiya Civic Center is a facility of the City of Ashiya, its client, and Obayashi Corporation was the builder. It came out of the Osaka office of Junzō Sakakura's firm (坂倉準三建築研究所): Fumitaka Nishizawa was its designer, and the project team also included Yasutaka Yamazaki. The complex was completed in two stages, in 1964 and 1970: the main hall was finished in spring 1970, beside the Ashiya River and its line of cherry trees. It was then given the nickname Luna Hall, which is still in use.

The Japan Institute of Architects selected it in 1998 for the second edition of its 25-Year Award, and DOCOMOMO Japan recognised it in 2008.

Architecture

The structure is reinforced concrete. The building rises four storeys above ground with one basement level, covering 2,283 m2 at ground level with 6,913 m2 of floor area. Along the river, the outer walls of Luna Hall are covered in Japanese ivy whose appearance shifts from one season to the next.

The main hall has 662 seats and can take 700 people at most, standing included. The small hall, in the basement, is set up for 150 people.

Use today

Luna Hall stages concerts, plays and other performances. The small hall is used for dance, ballet and piano recitals, and as a rehearsal room when the main hall is in use. The main building also holds 17 meeting rooms and a multipurpose hall where exhibitions can be held.

Visiting

The interior can be seen during the concerts, plays and performances held in Luna Hall. The centre closes on Tuesdays (the main hall opens if the Tuesday is a public holiday), on 13 and 14 August and from 27 December to 4 January.

From JR Ashiya Station it is about a seven-minute walk, heading west from the south exit.