Tokyo's Meguro Ward Office Tour Illuminates Architect Murano's Masterpiece; Complex Features Japanese-style Rooms, Ponds

Yomiuri Shimbun

25-05-2025

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By Ryuzo Suzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Photographer
Participants on the architectural guided tour of the Meguro Ward Office complex, a masterpiece by Togo Murano, look around while ascending the spiral staircase in Meguro Ward, Tokyo, on May 2. Murano was also known as the 'magician of stairs.'
In recent years, architecture festivals allowing public tours of prominent buildings have gained significant popularity in various parts of the nation.
A prime example is the Tokyo Architecture Festival, which started last year. Furthermore, one of the first inspirations for these types of tours is often cited as the Meguro Ward Office complex guided tour.
Tours of the complex began in 2004 and have been held for more than 20 years. This year's four-day event in April and May drew about 250 participants. The odds of getting a tour were low. One in four to six applicants nabbed a spot, making it a challenging tour to book. The Meguro Museum of Art organizes the tours.
For about two hours, the participants explore various parts of the complex while listening to explanations from volunteer guides includingarchitects and those in the construction field. Notably, about half of the 10 or so guides are long-serving veterans who have been involved since the first tour. Their detailed explanations are highly appreciated.
By Ryuzo Suzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Photographer
People take in Murano's relaxing architecture in a Japanese-style room facing a pond, now named 'Shijukara no Ma,' admiring the luminous ceiling and modern shoji screens. When this was the Chiyoda Mutual Life Insurance headquarters building, this room was used for club activities. One of the hallmarks of Murano's architecture is said to be its innovative style, a fusion of Western and Japanese, modernism and classicism.
The Meguro Ward Office complex, completed in 1966, was originally the head office building of The Chiyoda Mutual Life Insurance Co. (now The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co.) .
Considered a masterpiece, the building was designed by Togo Murano, a renowned architect who was active during Japan's period of rapid economic growth.He was given full discretionary power over the design and budget.
Murano was involved in numerous significant projects in Tokyo alone, including renovations of the State Guest House Akasaka Palace and the Nihombashi Takashimaya Shopping Center, as well as the construction of the Nissay Theatre. He also received the Order of Culture.
By Ryuzo Suzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Photographer
People listen to an explanation about the design of a sesame field depicted from an aerial perspective on the fusuma sliding doors in a mizuya, the preparation area of a tea ceremony room, within the Meguro Ward Office complex.
The expansive 16,000-square-meter site is magnificent, boasting a luxurious layout that includes a main building, an annex, an entrance building, a club building, a hill and both large and small ponds.
Following the bankruptcy of the company in 2000, Meguro Ward acquired the building. Subsequent renovations led to it being used as the comprehensive ward office complex starting in 2003. The building presently accommodates facilities, including the ward office, the metropolitan tax office and a public health center.
By Ryuzo Suzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Photographer
People head toward a tea ceremony room, with the tea garden visible to the side. This space offers a level of simple beauty and peacefulness that is unexpected and makes visitors feel far removed from the typical interior of a building.
Upon entering the south entrance connecting to the third floor of the main building, visitors are immediately drawn to the open entrance hall and a spiral staircase that extends from the second to the fourth floor.
The first floor, accessed via a separate staircase, is busy with residents coming for various procedures. By contrast, the inner courtyard features a pond. There are also Japanese-style rooms and a tea ceremony room, creating a tranquil scene that one can hardly believe is inside a ward office. It is also a rare example of a building that has changed from private to public use.
By Ryuzo Suzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Photographer
People gather at the entrance hall connecting to the third floor of the main building to join a tour of the Meguro Ward Office complex.
'I felt deeply impressed that a building from around my birth year boasts such a wonderful design and remains in active use,' said a part-time employee of a confectionery company in her 50s. 'Before heading home, I plan to revisit the places we saw on the tour on my own,' the woman, who came from Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, commented.
'Twenty years ago, the trend was to tear down old buildings and rebuild new ones one after another. Now, the appreciation for using old buildings has grown, but it's impossible to rebuild them in the same way due to issues with the skills of craftsmen and costs,' a veteran guide said. 'The beauty of architecture that goes beyond mere function is evident here. As it's a ward office, many parts are accessible for repeat visits. We hope visitors will come again with friends and expand your appreciation and delight in this space.'
The next guided tour is scheduled to be held around the same time next year. Tours in English will be also available.
By Ryuzo Suzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Photographer
The exterior of the Meguro Ward Office complex, which is covered with vertical aluminum louvers. These louvers, combined with the balconies, allow gentle natural light to penetrate the interior.