Mitsui Main Building and Tower in Nihonbashi
There are few structures in Tokyo that go back more than 60 years. In fact, many, if not most, of the buildings built after the war wiped Tokyo almost clean have been replaced in the past few decades. Nihonbashi is old. With a history of over 400 years, some of the names haven’t changed, even if the buildings have.
The Mitsui Main Building, in the foreground of the photo, was built in 1929 after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. It was built to last and did make it through the war. More than a decade ago the Mitsui Main Building became the first office building to be designated an important cultural asset in Japan. Just 5 years ago the Mitsui Tower was built behind it. The inside of both buildings are a spectacle. The Mitsui Memorial Museum inside is loaded with amazing works of art.
To the left of this photo is the Mitsukoshi Department Store (pictured on the left in this prior entry).