It was built in 1932 as the main building of the Okura Spiritual Culture Institute by Kunihiko Okura (1882-1971), a businessman who later served as president of Toyo University. In 1981, the city of Yokohama donated it to the city, and after extensive renovations, the building was preserved. In 1984, it was reborn as the Yokohama City Okurayama Memorial Hall, and in 1991, it was designated a Yokohama City Tangible Cultural Property. Since its opening, it has been loved by local residents as a cultural facility where many local events are held, such as the Okurayama Autumn Art Festival, which attracts more than 10,000 visitors, the Children's Festival in honor of Children's Day, and the Merry Christmas on a Small Hill in December. In addition, the building has been used as a location for many movies and television programs, with its Greek temple-style pilotis, the fifth assembly room that retains the atmosphere of the early Showa period, the hall that incorporates the wooden framework of shrine architecture, and the entrance.
