Former Italian Embassy, Tokyo

The Embassy of Italy in Tokyo has stood on the grounds of the former estate of Prince Masayoshi Matsukata in Mita, Minato Ward since 1932. The site was originally the domain of the feudal lords of Matsuyama in Iyo Province (present-day Ehime Prefecture), later becoming the residence of Matsukata, a prominent Meiji-era statesman who served twice as Prime Minister. Following his death in 1924, the Japanese government proposed in 1928 that the Italian Embassy relocate to this prestigious location; agreement was reached in 1929 and the move was completed in 1932.

During the 1930s and 1940s, the embassy served as a critical node in the Axis diplomatic network. The Tripartite Pact, signed in Berlin on September 27, 1940, formally allied Japan, Germany, and Italy, and the Italian Embassy in Tokyo became the primary channel for diplomatic coordination between Rome and Tokyo. Ambassador Mario Indelli led the embassy during this pivotal period.

The embassy's role changed dramatically after Italy signed an armistice with the Allies on September 8, 1943. Japan, which recognized Mussolini's puppet state, the Italian Social Republic (RSI), demanded that embassy staff declare loyalty to the RSI. Of approximately 50 staff members, Ambassador Indelli and nearly all others refused, choosing to side with the legitimate Italian Kingdom. Only two staff members sided with the RSI. Those who refused were placed under Japanese police surveillance and spent the remainder of the war confined at the San Francisco Monastery in Denenchofu, Tokyo.

In April 1945, during the devastating firebombing raids on Tokyo, the embassy's official residence (公邸) was destroyed, and the office building (事務所) suffered significant damage. In the final months of the war, the remaining embassy operations relocated to the villa of politician Yukio Ozaki in Karuizawa, and some staff were evacuated to the Hakone Fujiya Hotel.

After the war, the embassy was gradually restored. A new embassy building was designed in the 1960s by Italian architect Pier Francesco Borghese and Japanese architect Masashin Murata, and completed in 1965. The embassy continues to operate at the same Mita location today.