Landmark & Tower · Ginza / Shimbashi

Shizuoka Press and Broadcasting Center 静岡新聞・静岡放送ビル

Kenzo Tange's 1967 Metabolist tower in Ginza: a single cylindrical core with office boxes cantilevered off it, still standing beside the expressway after its neighbour, the Nakagin Capsule Tower, was demolished.

About

Designed by Kenzo Tange and completed in 1967, this slender building on a tiny triangular plot near Shimbashi is one of the purest expressions of Metabolism, the Japanese movement that imagined cities as living organisms. Everything hangs off a single round concrete shaft containing elevators, stairs and services; the office floors are boxes clamped to it at irregular heights, leaving gaps as if more rooms could be plugged in later. With the Nakagin Capsule Tower demolished in 2022, it is now the most visible Metabolist landmark left in central Tokyo. There is nothing to visit inside, but it is a pilgrimage stop for architecture fans and a striking contrast to the luxury flagships a few blocks north.

Highlights

• Single cylindrical core with cantilevered office boxes
• Kenzo Tange's Metabolist icon from 1967
• Gaps between boxes suggesting a building that could 'grow'
• Dramatic angles from the expressway and Shimbashi side
• Free to view from the street

Tips

• Exterior only: it is a working office building.
• Shoot from the Shimbashi side or the pedestrian crossings of Sotobori-dori to see the core and boxes clearly.
• Pair with the Hermes and Sony Park buildings up the road for a quick Ginza architecture walk.

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

Nearby

• HarutakaSushi & Seafood · 70 m away
• Sushi TokamiSushi & Seafood · 90 m away
• Hibiya OKUROJILocal Secret · 150 m away
• Rock FishBars & Nightlife · 200 m away
• Hakuhinkan Toy ParkUnique Store · 200 m away
• Ginza KyubeySushi & Seafood · 220 m away
• Sushi KojimaSushi & Seafood · 220 m away
• Shimbashi SL SquarePhoto Spot · 220 m away