This building, built in 1926, is the third generation. The first one was built in 1868 and the second in 1874. There are 47 prefectural buildings in Japan though, this is the oldest. As the oldest one, this has been repeatedly utilized as a location for making movies. During the construction work, the Great Kanto Earthquake caused a lot of damage to Tokyo, so the design details of this building were obliged to modify to reinforce anti-seismic performance. There were the plans of reconstruction or relocation for several times in recent years, however, all the plans have been at a deadlock because of financial difficulties. Long after the completion of this building, it is now too small to accommodate all the functions of the public office. since the total floor area is just one-sixth of Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Many official departments are the tenant of nearby buildings.
Licensed tour guide, travel consultant,
Masahisa Takaki.
