18-05-2025
Retro Japan: Housing complex in Tokyo's Ginza stands test of time for over 90 yrs
TOKYO -- A housing complex in the Japanese capital's posh Ginza district has stood as a silent witness to the area's ever-changing landscape for more than 90 years.
The Okuno Building (formerly the Ginza apartments) is located in Chuo Ward's Ginza-itchome area, where boutiques and jewelry stores line the streets.
Its main building was designed by architect Ryoichi Kawamoto (1880-1977), who also worked on the Kudan Kaikan hall (formerly the Army Hall) in Tokyo. The structure was completed in 1932 as a disaster-resistant reinforced concrete apartment complex during a housing shortage following the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. The building was joined by an annex in 1934, connected via an interior hallway. The seventh floor was added around 1960, giving the structure its current form.
The vintage manually operated elevator -- a rarity in private residences at the time -- is still in use. The building was once a sought-after luxury residence, with telephone lines installed in each room and a large bath in the basement. The worn tracks in the hallways bear witness to nearly a century of human activity.
Today, approximately 70 rooms house galleries, antique shops and more. Room 306, which served as the Suda beauty salon from before World War II to the latter half of the 1980s, has been preserved by volunteers, retaining its round mirrors and red floor. One shop owner commented, "In Ginza with its glitzy image, this is a mysterious place that feels nostalgic."
(Japanese original by Kaho Kitayama, Fukuoka Photo and Video Department)
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The Japanese version of this article was originally published on Jan. 15, 2023.
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