Aki's Nora Clock

The "Nora clock" is a symbol of Aki that blends Japanese and Western styles in the peaceful countryside - Aki City, Kochi Prefecture

Aki faces Tosa Bay by the Kuroshio Current. The ruins of Aki Castle, a remnant of the Warring States Period, beautifully hedged Doikachu samurai residences with Tosa plaster from the Edo period which convey an atmosphere of the past can still be seen today. The "Nora clock" in Aki city is a clock on top of a pure Japanese-style house.

In 1887, when houses didn't have clocks, Genma Hatanaka, the local landowner, built it for the villagers who worked on the farms. The octagonal American wall clock in the Hatanaka family kitchen was dissassembled and rebuilt many times to reverse engineer it, and all parts, from gears to weights, were handmade to create the clock tower.

It has kept time constantly for nearly 120 years. It is well known among the locals as the "nora clock" and has become a symbol of the town.1996 Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan

Page Top