Visited by Korean Wave superstar Lee Donghae, &ldquoShinbashi Ekimae&rdquo was formerly the Kaohsiung branch of the century-old Sanwa Bank. Located at the intersection of Linhai 1st Road and Linhai 3rd Road, this building has witnessed the century-long transformation of Hamasen from a bustling trade hub into a modern city. Today, this Japanese-style historic building is no longer just a relic of the past&mdashit has been reborn as a retro, elegant café that re-engages with the city&rsquos spirit.
Hamasen was once Kaohsiung&rsquos financial hub, thriving with trade and lined with financial institutions. The area in front of Takao Station, known as &ldquoEkimae Boulevard,&rdquo earned the name &ldquoKaohsiung&rsquos First Financial Street&rdquo and holds great historical significance. The Old Sanwa Bank was originally established as the 34th Bank&rsquos Kaohsiung branch in 1921, serving as a branch of a Japanese bank during the colonial period.
Completed in 1921, the Sanwa Bank building symbolized Kaohsiung&rsquos economic prosperity at the time. However, with changing times, the building eventually fell into disuse. In 2016, the Kaohsiung Bureau of Cultural Affairs launched the &ldquoShoreline Revitalization Plan,&rdquo including the restoration of the &ldquoFirst Financial Street&rdquo&mdashfocusing on the Hamasen Trade Building and Old Sanwa Bank. With the joint efforts of local teams, this historic bank was brought back to life.
Shinbashi Ekimae Café
In 2020, the &ldquoShinbashi Ekimae&rdquo café team moved in and transformed the historic bank into a unique cultural café. As the old bank was located in what was known during the Japanese era as Shinbashi Town 1-chome, the café was named &ldquoShinbashi Ekimae.&rdquo The interior preserves the original bank counter and vault, which have become defining features of the space.
The former Sanwa Bank building was originally the &ldquo34th Bank Kaohsiung Branch,&rdquo established in 1921. In 2020, the &ldquoShinbashi Ekimae&rdquo café team moved in to revitalize the historic site. (Photo: Shinbashi Ekimae, TOKO Lifestyle Magazine)
Brand Logo
The brand logo of Shinbashi Ekimae reflects the cultural and historical context of Hamasen, incorporating four elements: mountains, port, town, and railway&mdashrepresenting Shoushan (Mount Shou), Kaohsiung Port, the old town name, and the railway network. These elements not only evoke the geography of the area but also connect to the location&rsquos history as a former transport and commercial hub.
Century-Old Bank Counter
Upon entering Shinbashi Ekimae, visitors are greeted by a beautifully preserved low wall that once served as the bank&rsquos customer counter, used continuously since the Japanese colonial period. To retain this historical memory, the team accentuated the space with antique lighting and rebuilt metal arched windows, making the old bank counter the focal point of the café&rsquos design.
Steampunk-Style Bar
The feature wall and bar are presented in a steampunk style, paying homage to Hamasen&rsquos modernization in the 19th century through port construction, land reclamation, and railway development. The design expresses the geographical essence of Hamasen.
The century-old bank counter (Photo: Kaohsiung Travel Website, TOKO Lifestyle Magazine)
Century-Old Vault
Inside the century-old vault&mdashwith walls 50 centimeters thick&mdashlies a hidden treasure of time: cold drip coffee. This has become a must-see and most-photographed feature for visitors. The solid concrete vault, once safeguarding countless fortunes, now symbolizes a sensory experience at the heart of the café&rsquos charm.
Second-Floor Corridor
The second-floor corridor of this square-shaped building had previously been filled in with red bricks during a renovation. Today, after careful restoration, the Western-style colonnades have been brought back to light. The thickness of the wooden floor matches that of traditional tatami mats, showcasing the detailed craftsmanship of Japanese architecture. Walking through the space feels like traveling back in time to Kaohsiung a century ago.
This article is republished with permission from TOKO Lifestyle Magazine.
