Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
東京都庁舎
Record height
Tallest in Japan from 1991 to 1993[I]
Preceded by	Sunshine 60
Surpassed by	Yokohama Landmark Tower
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Prefecture building
Location	2-8-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo 163-8001 Japan
Coordinates	35°41′23″N 139°41′32″E / 35.68972°N 139.69222°E / 35.68972; 139.69222
Construction started	April 1988
Completed	December 1990
Opening	1991; 34 years ago (1991)
Cost	¥157 billion
Owner	Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Height
Roof	242.9 meters (797 ft)[1]
Technical details
Floor count	48
Floor area	195,764 m2 (2,107,190 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Kenzo Tange
Structural engineer	Kiyoshi Mutō

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (東京都庁舎, Tōkyō-to Chōsha), also referred to as the Tochō (都庁) for short, is the seat of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which governs the special wards, cities, towns, and villages that constitute the Tokyo Metropolis.

Located in Shinjuku ward, the building was designed by architect Kenzo Tange. It consists of a complex of three structures, each taking up a city block. The tallest of the three is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No.1, a tower 48 stories tall that splits into two sections at the 33rd floor. The building also has three levels below ground. The design of the building was meant to resemble an integrated circuit,^[2] while also evoking the look of a Gothic cathedral. It is the tallest city hall in the world.^[3]

The other two buildings in the complex are the eight-story Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Building (including one underground floor) and Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 2, which has 37 stories including three below ground.

The two panoramic observation decks, one in each tower on floor 45 (202 meters (663 ft) high), are free of charge to the public and contain gift shops and cafes.^[4] The two observation decks are open between 9:30 and 22:00 on alternating days.^[5]

The building was designed by Kenzo Tange and finished in December 1990 at the expense of ¥157 billion (about US$1 billion) of public money. It replaced the old city hall at Yūrakuchō, which was built in 1957 and also designed by Tange, which is now the site of the Tokyo International Forum.^[6]

At 242.9 meters (797 ft),^[1] it was the tallest building by roof height in Tokyo until 2007, when the Midtown Tower was completed.

In February 2024, the building was recognized by the Guinness World Records for having the world's largest projection mapping display.^[7][8]

• 
  The first Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in the 1930s. It was damaged during World War II.
• 
  The previous Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, between 1957 and 1991, in Chiyoda district
• 
  Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1 (Tōkyō-tochō daiichi honchōsha)
• 
  Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 2 (Tōkyō-tochō daini honchōsha)

• List of tallest structures in Tokyo
• List of tallest structures in Japan
• Tochōmae Station

• Media related to Tokyo Metropolitan Government Buildings (1991) at Wikimedia Commons
• Map showing the buildings and its neighborhood
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government Buildings
• Guide to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Tour (in Japanese)
• CityMayors.com feature
• 3D model of the building for use in Google Earth
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government Complex^[usurped]
• Wheelchair Accessibility Information