Social studies field trip for adults. Let's go to the National Diet Building!

Many people have fond memories of visiting the National Diet Building on field trips and school trips in elementary and junior high school. Do you remember what you saw then? Whether you've never seen it before or visited it in the past, visiting the National Diet Building is more enjoyable as an adult. So, let's set off on an adult field trip

What is the procedure for visiting the National Diet Building?

The National Diet Building houses the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors

If you are planning to visit either building with 10 or more people, you must download and fill out the application form and visitor list from the respective websites of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors, and fax it in advance. If you are planning to visit with 9 or fewer people, you can go directly to the reception desk at the visitor entrance of the House of Representatives or the House of Councillors on weekdays to complete the application process

The House of Councillors does not accept general tours on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Members of the House of Representatives can be accommodated at the House of Representatives Visitor Reception Desk on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. If you are touring the Diet Building on a holiday, you will be visiting members of the House of Representatives. From here on, we will focus on visiting members of the House of Representatives as a social studies field trip for adults on a holiday

We recommend visiting the House of Representatives on weekends and public holidays!

Tours of the House of Representatives are led by security guards who guard the Diet building. After checking in, you will be given a tour pamphlet, which will serve as your tour permit, so you will first go through baggage inspection while holding it. On weekdays, when the Diet is in session, there are restrictions on what can be toured, so we recommend visiting on weekends and public holidays. From here, we will introduce the route for touring the House of Representatives on holidays. The tour takes approximately 50 minutes

After baggage inspection, on fine days, visitors line up in the plaza behind the Diet Building and then proceed to the House of Representatives plenary chamber. As the Diet is closed on holidays, visitors sit in the gallery in the plenary chamber and learn about the history of the building, from its construction to various points of view, through explanations by security guards and an audio guide by a narrator

The main assembly hall is the very Diet that we see on television broadcasts and on the news, but the highlight of all is the huge British stained glass on the ceiling. Most of the Diet Building was built using domestic techniques, but there are three things that could not have been made with Japanese technology at the time, one of which is stained glass. There is British stained glass in addition to the main assembly hall. The second is an American-made air chute. Inside the Diet Building, there are post boxes on each floor. When mail is placed in a post box, it is sent to a collection and delivery center in the basement. The Ginza Post Office then comes to collect and deliver it. The other feature is a master key system that can open all the rooms. This was also a technology that did not exist in Japan at the time. Everything else in the Diet Building was built using domestic products

After the main assembly hall, the tour will include the Emperor's private resting room in the center of the Diet Building. The crystal chandeliers and other lavish decorations are even more impressive now that we're adults. We will then walk past the rooms of each political party and the Budget Committee, touring the main areas, but photography and videography are prohibited inside the Diet Building. We will then exit the building and finally arrive at the main gate of the Diet Building, where photography is permitted. We will take a commemorative photo with the Diet Building in the background, and the tour will end here

By the way, the National Diet Building was constructed in 1890 (Meiji 23) and completed in 1936 (Showa 11). It cost 25,735,977 yen at the time, but it is said to be worth 50 billion yen today

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Why not take a stroll around the filming locations of "Aibou"?

As you exit the main gate of the National Diet Building, across the road from the left is the Western-style garden in front of the National Diet Building, which has been a famous filming location for the TV drama "Aibou" since the early days of the series

The scene where Chief Cabinet Secretary Onoda and Sugishita Ukyo meet takes place under this clock tower. The buildings visible side by side behind the clock tower are the Metropolitan Police Department and the National Police Agency. With both buildings reflected in the background, this location was the perfect location to convey a message when the drama's theme was internal police issues, such as conflict between the Metropolitan Police Department and the National Police Agency

Incidentally, this is also the location of the residence of Ii Naosuke, the Shogunate's chief advisor who was killed in the Sakuradamon Incident at the end of the Edo period. Sakuradamon Gate is just a stone's throw away from here

This is a fountain located right next to the clock tower. The rectangular area is a beautiful spot for the fountain during the summer. This fountain is also a familiar spot in the "AIBOU" series. It has appeared in all of the TV series, from the first season to "AIBOU 15."

Experience being a member of parliament at the Constitution Memorial Hall!

The House of Representatives Secretariat Constitutional Memorial Hall is located on the grounds of the Western-style garden in front of the National Diet Building, which was the filming location for the TV drama "Aibou." Replicas of the seats and podiums used in the main chamber of the House of Representatives are on display, and you can actually sit on them. They are the same size as those in the main chamber of the National Diet. What's more, you can take photos freely here. Come experience what it's like to be a member of the Diet

For those who love Japanese history, there are also exhibits of valuable documents from the Meiji Restoration to the present day, which will stimulate your intellectual curiosity. Of course, admission is also free

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Read nostalgic manga at the National Diet Library!

At the new branch of the National Diet Library, you can read magazines and newspapers. These magazines include Weekly Shonen Jump, Monthly Ribon, Monthly Animage, Weekly TV Guide, and more, and are available for free reading of all kinds of magazines published in Japan and stored at the National Diet Library. In other words, if you come to the National Diet Library, you can read your favorite manga magazines from back in the day for free

First, you will need to get a registered user card at the National Diet Library reception desk. The card is valid for three years from the date of issue. This card will be used for entry and exit procedures, as well as for all procedures such as browsing and copying materials

To read old manga magazines, you can look them up on the terminal, submit a reading request form at the counter, and they will be picked up from the archives and ready to read in about 30 minutes. If you find them so nostalgic that you want to keep them, you can also request a copy. National Diet Library staff will make copies for you, as long as they do not violate copyright law. There is a fee

The National Diet Library is a time capsule of publications. It's a place where you can fulfill your desire to read something again. You can read manga you thought you'd never read again for free here. The National Diet Library cafeteria is reasonably priced and has a great view. However, please note that it is closed on Sundays and public holidays

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How about a tour that starts with a visit to the Diet members in the Diet Building, then a look at the filming location of "Aibou" in the Western-style garden in front of the Diet, a tour of the Constitution Memorial Hall, and then lunch in the cafeteria of the National Diet Library and browse nostalgic manga magazines? Everything is free except for the lunch. However, the National Diet Library is closed on Sundays and public holidays, so if you want to see everything, we recommend coming on a Saturday

Jun Nambara

Writer, screenwriter, animation producer. He wrote and directed the drama CD ``The Rose of Versailles,'' supervised by Riyoko Ikeda, and has written many books, including ``Onmyoji ``Abe Seimei'' (Futami Shobo). He is also attracting attention as a travel writer who works as a tour conductor on weekends. His hobby is visiting the sacred places of anime, dramas, and movies.