Landmark & Tower · Marunouchi

Meiji Seimeikan 明治生命館

A 1934 classical office building with a giant Corinthian colonnade facing the palace moat, the first Showa-era building to become an Important Cultural Property, with free public rooms including the room where the Allied Council for Japan met.

About

Designed by Okada Shinichiro and completed in 1934 for the Meiji Life Insurance Company, the Meiji Seimeikan is the finest surviving classical building of prewar Tokyo: ten giant Corinthian columns run across the facade on Hibiya-dori, opposite the Imperial Palace moat. After the war it was requisitioned by the Allied occupation, and the Allied Council for Japan met in its conference room. In 1997 it became the first building of the Showa era designated an Important Cultural Property. Its preserved interiors on the first and second floors, including the coffered-ceiling counter hall, the former conference room, a reception room and the president's office, are open to the public free of charge, and the Seikado Bunko Art Museum's Marunouchi gallery occupies part of the ground floor. Restaurants and shops in the adjoining modern tower, MY PLAZA, connect through the atrium.

Highlights

• Ten giant Corinthian columns on the Hibiya-dori facade
• Coffered counter hall with original fittings
• Conference room used by the Allied Council for Japan after WWII
• First Showa-era building designated an Important Cultural Property
• Free entry, rarely crowded

Tips

• Opening hours of the preserved rooms vary by floor; arrive mid-afternoon on a weekend for the best access.
• The Seikado Bunko gallery on the ground floor is ticketed and closed on Mondays.
• Cross the road to the palace moat for the full facade shot, best in late-afternoon sun.
• Combine with Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum and the Tokyo International Forum, both within 5 minutes.

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

Nearby

• Seikado Bunko Art MuseumMuseum · 30 m away
• Marunouchi Naka-dori AvenuePhoto Spot · 140 m away
• Manten Sushi MarunouchiSushi & Seafood · 150 m away
• Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, TokyoMuseum · 170 m away
• COTTON CLUBLive Music & Karaoke · 280 m away
• Nemuro Hanamaru KITTE MarunouchiSushi & Seafood · 300 m away
• Tokyo International Forum Glass HallPhoto Spot · 300 m away
• Kokyo Gaien National GardenCastle & Palace · 300 m away