Vol. 14 No. 2 (2017): Urban Transformation
Articles

Future Vision of Urban Design in Central Tokyo – Transformation of Minato City

Keimi Harada
Visiting Professor, International Academy Of Architecture, Bulgaria Lecturer, Graduate School Of Public Policy, Meiji University, Tokyo Former Mayor, Minato City, Tokyo

Published 2017-09-08

Keywords

  • Minato city tokyo,
  • Meiji revolution in 1868,
  • Restoration plan after the great earthquake in 1930,
  • Tokyo olympics,
  • War damage restoration plan

How to Cite

Harada, K. (2017). Future Vision of Urban Design in Central Tokyo – Transformation of Minato City. A|Z ITU JOURNAL OF THE FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE, 14(2), 5–8. https://doi.org/10.5505/itujfa.2017.95826

Abstract

The purpose is to clarify the facts and backgrounds of urban transformation of Minato City, Tokyo. Methods is to collect and analyze governments' historical documents. Minato City, core of Tokyo Prefecture, is 'Port City', having international community, coexistence of old and new, multi functions, strong economic power, and a strong brand name. More than 80 embassies and many of company headquarters are located there. Its area is 20 km2 and its night time population is 200,000, and its day time population is 1 million. The first train station was built in 1872. Major transformations have happened five times during last 150 years. The first came in 1868, Meiji Revolution (Modernization), the second was 1945, at the end of the World War II, the third was the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964, the forth was Globalization in 2000, and the fifth is the second Tokyo Olympics. Before 1868: 80% of the land use was Daimyo Clan's residences. Urban design including height, material and color was beautiful. The second, 1868-1945: Westernization of buildings. Daimyo Clans residences were changed to government buildings and embassies. The third, 1945-1964: Improvements of infrastructure and redevelopment projects. The fourth, 1964-2000: Redevelopments for Globalization, large private redevelopment projects such as Roppongi Hills (Japan's largest private redevelopment project), Shinagawa Station Redevelopment and Shiodome Redevelopment. The fifth, toward 2020 Olympic Games: Improvements of infrastructure and redevelopment projects, utilizing the PPP (public private partnership), and PFI (private finance initiative).