Local Secret · Ginza

Okuno Building 奥野ビル

A 1932 luxury apartment block in Ginza with a hand-operated cage elevator, now a warren of tiny galleries and antique shops tucked behind ordinary-looking doors.

HoursGalleries approx. 12:00–19:00 (varies)

ClosedVaries by gallery

PriceFree

Getting thereGinza-itchome Station (Yurakucho Line), 3 min; Ginza Station, 6 min

Time needed45 min–1.5 hours

Best timeWeekday afternoons

Address1-9-8 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo

About

Built in 1932 as the Ginza Apartments, one of Tokyo's most fashionable early modern residences, the Okuno Building survived the war almost untouched. Its tiled facade and steel-framed windows hide seven floors of former studio flats, now rented to some 40 micro-galleries, antique and vintage dealers, and artists. The manual Showa-era elevator with its folding accordion gate is famous among locals and architecture fans; the narrow stairwells, worn terrazzo and doorbells feel frozen in time. Wander floor to floor knocking on open doors, exhibitions change weekly and most are free.

Highlights

Hand-operated 1932 elevator with accordion gate
Dozens of tiny free galleries and vintage shops
Original tiles, stairwells and steel-frame windows
Room 306 preserved as the former beauty salon (Suda Biyoshitsu project)
An unplanned art crawl one block from Ginza's flagship stores

Tips

Most galleries open around noon to 19:00 and close Sundays or Mondays, weekday afternoons are best
It is a working building: speak softly and close the elevator gate behind you
Look for exhibition flyers on the ground-floor board to plan your floor-hop
Photography in the stairwell is fine, but ask before shooting inside galleries

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

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Okuno Building 奥野ビル

About

Highlights

Tips

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