Yamagataya Bookstore was located in the main commerce area of Kaohsiung Station (near Takao Railway Museum) and became a well-known store at the time. The bookstore published and sold a series of painted Kaohsiung leaflets (postcards) which documented the city’s images during Japanese rule that have now become a precious historical asset. Yamagataya Bookstore opened in 1912, and was originally a wooden building. In 1922 a two-story building was rebuilt in red brick and became the Yamagataya Bookstore we see today. The roof was originally flat, but now renovated into a hipped roof. The building enjoys a corner location and features a distinguished gable facade that rises in the middle and slopes on both sides. The word "yamagata" means "mountain" in Japanese which became the building's namesake, and made a lasting impression on generations of customers in the past.
鼓山／哈瑪星山形屋
哈瑪星山形屋興建於日治時期，1922年由日人山田耕作所建，當時山形屋位處高雄驛前（今舊打狗驛故事館附近）要道的商業精華區，為高雄著名的書店，除書籍外，還販售雜誌、文具、樂器、毛織品、玩具、各種節慶用品及其他百貨，型態與今日複合式經營的書店相似。其中，山形屋印行的一系列高雄在地的繪葉書（即明信片），記錄了日治高雄的昔日景象，成為今日相當珍貴的影像資料。
山形屋的創辦者山田耕作原是公職出身，之後於1912年開設山形屋，當時的「山形屋」原是木造建築，直到1922年才重新用清水磚起造成今日的二層樓高建物，屋頂原是平面式屋頂，今則修改為寄棟屋頂形式。山形屋位在絕佳的三角窗位置，其特色便是其山形立面，即中間高兩邊低的樣式，在日文中「山形」一詞是形容像山一樣，其建築物本身便呼應了這樣的形式，由此更加深了顧客對它的印象。
文／黃于津
圖／高雄市政府文化局