Japanese city to stop calling first, second floors the first time

TAKARAZUKA, Hyogo City - The government of this west Japan city is about to stop calling the first and second floors the ground floor and the second and third floors the first and second floors, because residents complained it is hard to understand.

Starting February 13th, the Takarazuka Municipal Government will refer literally to the first floor of its main building, like many other buildings in Japan. It marks the first change to floor numbers since the current city hall opened in 1980. The second city government building that was recently completed on the same premises is about to start, and will be opened on the same premises.

The main building was designed by Togo Murano in 1891 -- 1984, known for architectural masterpieces across the country, and has six floors above ground and one basement floor. The building is located on the western side of the Muko River, which runs through the city, and has different floor numbers depending on which direction it is viewed from. There are two entrances for residents: one on the ground floor and the other on the first floor on the northern side of the building.

Building floors in Japan and other countries like the United States are generally called from the ground up, the first floor, the second floor, the third floor, and so on. The practice of referring to the first, second and upper floors as the first, second and above is often seen in Britain and other countries.

It is not clear why the city adopted the British style, as there are no related documents available today, but it has certainly baffled local residents visiting the city hall.

The over-the- counter service section dealing with resident certificates, family registers, and other administrative matters is called the first floor, or the second floor in general terms, and the child care business section is on the ground floor, or the first floor in normal terms, it is hard for locals to figure out which floor they should go to. Even though there are guideboards inside the main building, city employees are often asked for directions to their destination sections by visitors.

The general floor numbering of the first and second floors is adopted by the newly completed second building, which has two stories. To prevent further confusion, the city decided to make the floor numbering consistent between the new and old buildings by altering the latter's settings for the first time in 43 years.

A city official said that it was a traditional way of displaying the floors, but we added weight to make it easier for residents to understand.

The city will change the displays on guideboards and elevator buttons at the main building by Feb. 13, when the second building is set to be inaugurated.