Ashiya City Library Uchide Branch

A historic Meiji-era building, prized for its elegant architecture and literary ties to Haruki Murakami.

Ashiya Haruki Murakami

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Ashiya City Library’s Uchide Branch, located roughly mid-way between Kobe and Osaka, is a rare and atmospheric Meiji-era building, a two-story reinforced concrete structure registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property, and an important example of modern Japanese architecture. The branch is also known as a place reportedly frequented by Haruki Murakami, who spent part of his youth in Ashiya before his family later moved to neighbouring Nishinomiya, and the library appears in his early novel Hear the Wind Sing (1979).

Originally built as a bank, the building was repurposed in 1930 by businessman Matsuyama Yohei for use as an art storage facility, then purchased by Ashiya city and opened in 1954 as Ashiya’s second municipal library.

Located about a five-minute walk north of Hanshin Railway’s Uchide Station, directly across from Uchide Tenjin Shrine, the library has a stately exterior with rustic granite walls on the east and north sides, curved corner detailing, arched windows, and dentiled eaves, while the former entrance has since been remodeled in traditional Japanese style.

Inside, the first floor functions as the library and the second floor as a conference room, with shelves of books for both adults and children arranged in an inviting, easy-to-browse layout. Visitors can also enjoy a beautiful Japanese garden at the back, and from inside the building, the old entrance and its dignified gatepost decorations give a clear sense of the structure’s historic character.

While this isn’t a Murakami museum or archive, it is nevertheless a very nice quiet “reading-life” stop where you can get a feeling for the mood of the neighborhood, pair it with coffee, and continue onward toward Kobe or Osaka.

Quick info

Type: Public library branch / Neighborhood reading space / Local lending & browsing
Address: 15-9 Uchide Kozuchicho, Ashiya, Hyogo 659-0022, Japan (芦屋市打出小槌町15-9)
Hours: Wed–Sun 10:00–17:00
Closed: Mon–Tue, national holidays (except when a holiday falls on Sun), month-end library maintenance day, special inventory periods, and year-end/New Year closures
Phone: +81 (0)797-38-7220
Cost: Free to enter / borrowing rules depend on residency & library registration

What you’ll find

A compact local branch atmosphere—ideal for a short visit, light browsing, or a quiet pause during a neighborhood walk.
Everyday reading culture in Ashiya rather than a tourist-heavy stop, which gives it a more personal, lived-in feel.
A literary detour option for visitors interested in Kansai reading routes, cafés, and the broader Kobe–Ashiya–Nishinomiya cultural corridor.

Getting there

The Uchide Branch is in Ashiya’s Uchide Kozuchicho area. It’s easiest to visit as part of a Hanshin Line neighborhood walk (especially if you’re moving between Kobe and Nishinomiya/Ashiya stops). Use the address “15-9 Uchide Kozuchicho, Ashiya” or search “Ashiya Library Uchide Branch” in your maps app for the most accurate route from your station.

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Good to know

Check the library calendar before visiting—branch closures can include monthly maintenance days and special inventory periods.
Bring this into a broader day plan: pair it with a café stop, a walk through Ashiya’s residential streets, or a Hanshin-line literary route toward Nishinomiya/Kobe.
Great for Murakami readers as an atmosphere stop rather than a destination exhibition—think “context and mood,” not “memorabilia.”