Kori Army Ammunition Factory Site (Myokenyama Chimney)

The residential landscape of Kori in Hirakata occupies the former grounds of an Army ammunition factory. Opened in 1939 as the Kori branch of the Uji Gunpowder Factory, it became an independent establishment of the Tokyo Second Army Arsenal three years later. Its main work was to dry damp propellant delivered from Uji and load it into shells and bombs. The hills and valleys helped separate hazardous processes, making the terrain part of the factory's protection against an explosion spreading between buildings.

The chimney on Myokenyama belonged to a coal-fired boiler system. Drying relied on steam heat because direct flame was unsuitable around explosives. The surviving concrete shaft therefore records a specific production process, rather than simply marking the former factory boundary. Female students were mobilized to work at Kori; their experiences are also remembered by a later anti-war monument in nearby Suehiro Park.

Production ended with Japan's defeat. Proposals to revive explosives manufacturing during the Korean War encountered local opposition, and the former works became Kori Danchi housing. Most factory buildings disappeared, while this corner lay outside the housing plan. Hirakata decided to preserve the chimney in 1984 and carried out reinforcement and repairs in 2010.

The approximate map point represents the surviving chimney area, not the entire industrial estate. It stands inside the operational Myokenyama water reservoir, which is normally closed to visitors. Access close to the structure is provided through announced municipal open days; ordinary public access to the surrounding neighbourhood does not extend into the water facility. The site and its vicinity have no visitor parking for these events.