National Comics Museum Preparatory Office (Taichung Prison Drill Hall) Introduction
The current building is the preparatory office of the National Museum of Comics. The Taichung Prison Martial Arts Field is located at No. 33, Linsen Road, West District, Taichung City. It was built in the 12th year of the Shōwa era (1937) during the Japanese colonial period, serving as a dojo for the warden and police's daily martial arts training. It is the only remaining dojo in the city, with its historical appearance well preserved, making it valuable for preservation, reuse, and architectural research. The martial arts field complex includes the main building of the dojo and an auxiliary building on the east side. The main building is constructed in a symmetrical style, with a shrine located at the central rear; to the left of the shrine is the judo training room, and to the right is the kendo training room. The dojo has seating on only one side and is a smaller martial arts facility compared to similar buildings like the budokan from the same period. The architectural style is typical of the martial arts fields from the Japanese colonial period, featuring an elevated foundation, facade resembling wooden structures with decorative wall columns, and a mother roof construction topped with large demon tiles and wind boards for decoration. The Taichung Prison Martial Arts Field was registered as a historical building in 2004.
