Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
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The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (東京都庁 Tōkyō Tochōsha), "Tocho" for short, or Tokyo City Hall is the location of the headquarters of the government of not only the 23 wards that people think of as the "city" of Tokyo, but also the cities, towns and villages that comprise Tokyo prefecture as a whole.
Located in Shinjuku, it is the tallest building in Tokyo at 248 meters (814 feet) from base to top, and the second-tallest structure after Tokyo Tower.
The building consists of a complex of three structures each taking up a city block. The tallest and most prominent of the three is Tokyo Metropolitan Main building No.1, a tower 45 stories tall that splits into two sections at the 33rd floor. The building also has three levels below ground. The design, by architect Kenzo Tange (and associates), has many symbolic touches, most notably the aforementioned split which re-creates the look of a gothic cathedral.
Finished in 1989 at the expense of 157 billion yen (about $US 1 billion) of public money, a popular nickname for Tocho is "Tax Tower."
The other two buildings in the complex are eight-story Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Building (including one underground floor) and Tokyo Metropolitan Main Building No.2, which has 37 stories including three below ground.
In fiction
As one of the distinguishing landmarks of Tokyo, the building often features in anime
- In Digimon Tamers, the building is the headquarters of the secretive government organisation, Hypnos.
External link
- a map showing the buildings and its neighborhood (http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/TMG/map.htm)
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Buildings (http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/TMG/outline.htm)
- Guide to Tokyo Metropolitang Governmenta Building Tour (http://www.yokoso.metro.tokyo.jp/) (in Japanese)ja:東京都庁