Visit the Meiji Seimei Museum, an important cultural property, in Marunouchi

Meiji Seimei Museum, which was completed in 1934, was designated as a national important cultural property in 1997. This is the first time this has happened in a building built in the Showa era.

The building is still used as the headquarters of Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance, but it can only be visited on designated days and times. And it's free. Now, let's head out for a tour.

The tour starts from the second floor!

The visitor entrance to Meiji Seimei-kan faces Hibiya Street. The closest station is Nijubashi-mae Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line. First, please pay attention to the exterior of Meiji Seimei-kan. The classical office building, lined with giant Corinthian columns, is a work of art.

As you pass through the visitor entrance, there will be a security guard. Tell them that you are going to take a tour, take the elevator to the second floor, and there will be a reception desk. After receiving the tour pamphlet here, we will take a look at the rooms in the atrium passageway on the second floor one by one.

Learn about the birth of Meiji Seimei Museum in the material exhibition room

In the materials and exhibition room, you can learn about more than 70 years of history.
Meiji Seimei-kan broke ground in September 1930 and was completed on March 31, 1934. After the war, it was taken over by the Allied Supreme Commander General Headquarters (GHQ) and used as the US Far East Air Force headquarters.

It was then returned in 1956 (Showa 31). You can also sit on a chair and watch footage recorded during construction. At that time, there were no heavy construction machines like there are today, so most construction work was done by hand. This is a valuable video that conveys the atmosphere of the times.

Take a closer look at the rooms on the second floor

Below the clock on the left side of the photo is the elevator that transports the food prepared in the kitchen.

It is connected to the cafeteria outside the screen on the right. It looks like a conference room, but it's also a dining room.
The ceiling and beams have reliefs of grapes and ivy made of plaster. It's hard to see, but the slightly darker part of the beam at the top of the photo is its relief.

The recess visible behind the table is a fireplace. While it was requisitioned by GHQ, this conference room was where the Japan Council meeting was held by representatives from the four countries: the US, UK, China, and the Soviet Union. The first meeting was held on April 5, 1946, and until 1952, it was held once every two weeks, 164 times.

At the first conference, MacArthur, then Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, gave a speech.

This conference room can truly be called a historical heritage. This is the waiting room next to the conference room.

While the conference room has a functional atmosphere, this room has a casual and relaxing atmosphere.

In contrast to the official meeting room, the waiting room feels more like a private space. This is the first floor, looking down from the second floor passage. Italian marble is mainly used for the large columns and walls.

The five-story Meiji Life Insurance building is still used as the headquarters of Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance, and the first floor is open as the Marunouchi Customer Service Center.
In addition, in the atrium on the second floor, there are an office, three reception rooms, and a health consultation room, all preserved in their original condition.

The first floor is still used as an office.

When you look up at the soaring ceiling on the 2nd floor from the 1st floor, the central part is made of glass, and on sunny days, light streams in.

Around it are octagonal depressions called cofferings, and inside these depressions are flower-shaped decorations called rosettes. In this photo, you can clearly see that all of the hollows are carved with flower reliefs.
When you look up at the ceiling from the atrium on the second floor, you can clearly appreciate every detail. Whether you look up from the first floor or look down from the second floor, it has a majestic atmosphere that makes you feel like you're in a temple.

Tours of the first floor are only available on Saturdays and Sundays, so we recommend visiting on Saturdays and Sundays.

Let's also take a walk around the Mitsubishi Daiichi Building next door.

If you have the opportunity, let's also go to the Mitsubishi Building No. 1, which is located across Marunouchi Nakadori from the Meiji Seimei Museum.

Mitsubishi Ichigokan is a Mitsubishi office building designed by Josiah Conder in 1894 (Meiji 27).

It was dismantled in 1968 (Showa 43) due to aging, but in 2010 (Heisei 21) it was rebuilt as the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum using original blueprints, documents, and preserved materials. . From Meiji Seimei-kan, walk along Babasaki Dori towards Tokyo Station and you will see a red brick building on the street. This is the exterior of the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum.

The design is the Queen Anne style, which was popular in England in the late 19th century.

It's like walking in London. In the courtyard, there are many benches around the shade of the trees, where you can relax. Cafes and restaurants are also arranged around the courtyard.

What did you think?
Meiji Seimei Museum is a nationally important cultural property. What's more, you can tour for free. We recommend visiting on Saturdays and Sundays, when you can tour both the 1st and 2nd floors. Even if you're not interested in architecture or history, you're sure to have a great time.

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