Kyoto University Clock Tower Centennial Hall

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Back before the war, the campus had a handsome red-brick facade

The clock tower that watches over Kyoto University

Built in 1925, the clock tower has stood for nigh on 90 years as the well-known symbol of Kyoto University. It is reputed to be the first giant electronic clock in Japan, the tower having been designed by the then professor of architecture Goichi Takeda and the Tower Clock ordered from the German company Siemens.
And, in 2003, as part of the university’s centenary celebrations, the tower was refurbished, preserving the façade but turning the interior into a centennial tower with hall, lecture rooms, salon, display room and restaurant.
In the Historical Exhibition Room, there is a permanent collection showing the History of Kyoto University, with the central display showing a Diorama reproduction of the university in 1939 as well as a reconstruction of 1930s student lodgings and panels explaining the interior of the clock tower and the history of the university. All of the document, photos and actual memorabilia are constructively combined to present straightforward images of each era.
Furthermore, this hall also presents a permanent exhibition of “the History of the affiliated Third Higher School”.