Landmark & Tower · Nihonbashi

Bank of Japan Head Office 日本銀行本店本館

Tatsuno Kingo's 1896 neo-Baroque stone bank, often called the first major Western-style building designed by a Japanese architect, with free guided tours down into the original underground vault.

About

The Bank of Japan's main building was completed in 1896 by Tatsuno Kingo, the architect who would later design Tokyo Station, and it is an Important Cultural Property. Built of stone and brick around a central courtyard, with a copper dome and a monumental colonnade, it was engineered after the 1891 Nobi earthquake to be strong and relatively light. It stands on the site of the Edo-period gold mint, the Kinza, which is how Nihonbashi Hongokucho became Japan's money district. The free one-hour guided tours, booked online, take you through the old business hall, the exhibition rooms and the underground vault, with its massive steel door and original wooden fittings; English tours run once a month and can be arranged for groups. Across the street, the bank's Currency Museum covers the history of Japanese money.

Highlights

• Neo-Baroque stone facade and copper dome by Tatsuno Kingo
• Underground vault with its original massive steel door
• Former business hall and exhibition rooms on the guided tour
• Built on the site of the Edo-period gold mint
• Important Cultural Property at the heart of Nihonbashi

Tips

• Tours are free but must be reserved online in advance, and slots fill weeks ahead; English tours are held on a Wednesday in the third week of the month.
• Bring ID and arrive early for the security check.
• Visit the free Currency Museum across the street before or after your tour.
• The best outside view of the facade is from the Nihonbashi side of the street through the main gate.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Tokiwabashi Stone BridgeBridge · 100 m away
• Bank of Japan Currency MuseumMuseum · 130 m away
• Mandarin Oriental TokyoStay · 150 m away
• Mitsui Memorial MuseumMuseum · 160 m away
• Mandarin Bar (Mandarin Oriental Tokyo)Bars & Nightlife · 160 m away
• Nihonbashi Sembikiya SohontenUnique Store · 180 m away
• Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main StoreMall & Department Store · 220 m away
• Nihonbashi Information CenterTourist Info · 240 m away