Taichung Second Public Market

Taichung Second Public Market (臺中市公有第二零售市場), originally known as the Shintomichō Market (新富町市場), was established in November 1917 as the second public retail market built in Taichung under Japanese colonial rule. Located at the intersection of what is now Sanmin Road and Taiwan Boulevard Section 1 in Taichung's Central District, the market was situated in the heart of the Japanese residential quarter and was designed to serve the daily needs of Japanese officials, their families, and other affluent residents.

The market's architectural design was notable for its radial layout centered on a two-story hexagonal tower. Six entrances connected to three wing-shaped halls extending outward, creating a distinctive star-like footprint and efficient pedestrian flow known locally as the 'Six Passages' (六條通). The hexagonal tower originally housed a bell that served as a fire alarm for the surrounding neighborhood. The construction used reinforced brick with sloped timber-frame roofing, representing sophisticated colonial-era market architecture. The total cost of construction was 39,000 yen.

The market earned the popular nickname 'the Japanese Market' (日本人的市場) or 'the Market for the Wealthy' (有錢人的市場) due to its clientele and the high-quality imported goods it offered, including specialty foods, fine clothing, and other luxury items not commonly found in markets serving the local Taiwanese population. Vendors were organized into different sections within the hexagonal layout based on the types of goods they sold.

In 1936, a fire — blamed on overcrowded stalls and tangled wiring — damaged the market, and part of the shops were subsequently rebuilt. After the Japanese surrender in 1945 and the Kuomintang takeover of Taiwan, the market continued to operate but faced increasing overcrowding. Additional buildings were constructed around the original structure, eventually surrounding and partially obscuring the historic hexagonal core.

Today, the Taichung Second Market operates as one of central Taiwan's most important traditional markets, housing 54 stores, some 150–200 permanent stalls, and about 100 temporary stalls on a site of 2,388 ping (approximately 7,894 square meters). The market has become a popular tourist destination renowned for its traditional Taiwanese cuisine, with several vendors recognized in the Michelin Guide. The hexagonal tower and portions of the original colonial-era brick structure survive as tangible reminders of Japanese urban planning in Taiwan.