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The Naikaku Sōri Daijin Kantei (内閣総理大臣官邸) or Prime Minister's Office is the official workplace of the
Prime Minister of Japan. It is commonly referred to as Shushō Kantei (首相官邸), or simply Kantei (官邸). Unlike other famous offices or palaces of heads of states, such as the
Kremlin in
Russia or the
White House in the
United States, the Japanese Prime Minister's Office has no nickname. Naikaku Sōri Daijin Kantei literally translates to "Prime Minister's Office" in
English.
Located at 2-3-1
Nagata-chō,
Chiyoda-ku,
Tokyo 100–8968, it is diagonally adjacent to the
National Diet Building. The term Kantei is used as a
metonym for the office of the Prime Minister of Japan and for the Prime Minister's advisors and administration in general.
In addition to being the principal office of the Prime Minister, the building also serves as the principal office of the
Chief Cabinet Secretary and their Deputy, the location of
Cabinet meetings, and is also the location of a national crisis management center.[1]
Usage
The 1st floor contains a press conference room where the
Prime Minister and the
Chief Cabinet Secretary hold press conferences. On the 4th floor there is a room where the Cabinet holds meetings, summits, etc. The 5th floor has the Prime Minister's Office, their Reception Room, the Chief Cabinet Secretary's office and reception room. [2]
History
Current Office
A new five-storied office building was built in 2002, with 2.5 times the floor space.[3] Installed with solar panels and a
rainwater storage system, the new building has been designed to minimize environmental impact.[4] The new residence went into service in April 2002[5]
Stairs between the 2nd and 3rd floors. Commemorative photo after the cabinet formation
Hall
Honor guard in the hall
Special Reception Room
Meeting with the Prime Minister in the press conference room. Behind it is the blue curtain used by the Prime Minister
Green curtain for meeting with the Chief Cabinet Secretary
The Prime Minister's press conference in the lobby
Previous Office
The former office building is now known as the Naikaku Sōri Daijin Kōtei (内閣総理大臣公邸), the Prime Minister's personal residential quarters.
With the evolution of a national parliament after the
Meiji Restoration and the establishment of the post of "Prime Minister of Japan" in 1885, the need for an official prime ministerial residence was felt. On the encouragement of Prime Minister
Tanaka Giichi, the first residence was completed on 18 March 1929. It incorporates architectural styles such as
Art Deco and
expressionist architecture which became popular from the late
Taishō period to the early
Shōwa period. It was heavily influenced by the architecture of
Frank Lloyd Wright, in particular his design for the second
Tokyo Imperial Hotel. It is a two-storied mansion designed by
Muraji Shimomoto, of the
Ministry of the Treasury (now
Ministry of Finance).[7] Prime Minister Tanaka is said to have exclaimed, "This is just like a café, isn't it?",[8] upon seeing the building.
By the 1990s, the old 5,200 square metres (56,000 sq ft) building was deemed cramped and insufficient. It underwent seismic retrofitting and internal renovation.[9]
The old residence, c1929
The old residence in the year of its completion, 1929