Section 2. Launching a Building Management Business

The building as designed was planned to be the largest building in western Japan at the time, with eight above-ground floors, one underground floor, an eave height of 31 m above ground level, and a total floor area of 32,231 m². The structure used reinforced concrete construction. Applying the lessons learned from the damage suffered by numerous buildings due to the Great Kanto Earthquake of September 1, 1923, earthquake-resistant and fire-resistant construction based on Tachu Naito’s calculations was adopted, and all the main internal walls were made to be strong and earthquake-resistant. According to Setsu Watanabe, it was the first earthquake-resistant building in Osaka.

The building’s exterior was also distinctive. The entire building had a Neo-Romanesque style with an Eastern flavor, and although the interior and exterior decor was simple, key areas were decorated with various carvings and sculptures. For example, the statue Eagle and Girl by Teizo Okuni, a juror for the Japan Art Academy Exhibition, was displayed above the arch in the central foyer. Additionally, the 12 round and square columns lining the first-floor entrance as well as both sides of the entrance itself were made from Tatsuyama stone from Banshu and decorated with Greek-style carvings.

The company made it a rule to actively use materials produced in Japan, including terra cotta from Osaka Ceramics (now Nihon Network Support Co., Ltd.) and bricks from Osaka Yogyo Fire Brick Co., Ltd. (now Yotai Refractories Co., Ltd.), marking the beginning of domestic production of terra cotta.

Construction proceeded smoothly and was completed on September 17, 1925, and the Osaka Building (renamed Daibiru in January 1989), said to be the greatest building in western Japan, was born. The West Annex, a two-story reinforced concrete building, and the O.S.K. Lines Baggage Office, a one-story reinforced concrete building, were also completed as ancillary facilities.