The Furukawa Kakemizu Club was built in about 1899, but the designer isn't clear, it is said however, that there is much influence from England's Josiah Conder. This building is a max of Western and Japanese styles.
The Furukawa Miming Company used it as a guest house for customers to stay and as a place to have meetings. In the building, there is a billiards table, the first one made in Japan, and a piano made in Germany in 1924.
Near the main building, there are two smaller museums-a mineral museum and a telephone museum. The telephone was invented by Mr.Bell in 1876, and the next year it was imported into Japan. After that, the Furukawa Company introduced telephones to the mines in 1886. It is a surprising fact that one enterprise introduced telephones only 10 years after its invention. It was the first introduction of telephones to private businesses. In Ashio, these telephones were called "the Copper Mine Telephones" , and were located at the city office and the train stations.
《Facilities referense》
Open: Saturdays, Sundays, Public Holidays 10:00-15:00
Closed: December through March
Consecutive holidays from the end of April to Golden Week
Charge: Adult 300yen
Junior High School Students and under 200yen
Phone: Daily 0288-93-3255 Holidays 0288-93-2015
