Meiji Seimei Kan (GHQ Annex)

The Meiji Seimei Kan (Meiji Life Insurance Building) stands in the Marunouchi business district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, directly facing the Imperial Palace moat. Designed by the renowned architect Shinichiro Okada and his brother Shogoro Okada, with structural engineering by Taju Naito and construction by Takenaka Corporation, the building broke ground in September 1930 and was completed on March 31, 1934. Its monumental facade features five-story Corinthian columns in the Greek Revival style, making it one of the finest examples of Western classical architecture in Japan. The steel-framed reinforced-concrete building comprises eight above-ground floors and two basement levels.

During World War II, the building survived the devastating firebombing of Tokyo, though wartime metal requisition drives stripped it of its elevators and ornamental window grilles. Following Japan's surrender in August 1945, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (GHQ/SCAP) requisitioned the Meiji Seimei Kan to house the United States Far East Air Forces (FEAF) headquarters. The nearby Dai-ichi Seimei Building served as MacArthur's main GHQ office, while the Meiji Seimei Kan functioned as a critical annex for occupation administration.

The building's most significant wartime legacy centers on its second-floor conference room, where the Allied Council for Japan convened. Composed of representatives from the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Soviet Union, and the Republic of China, the Council held its first session on April 5, 1946, with Supreme Commander General Douglas MacArthur delivering the opening address. The Council continued to meet in this room throughout the occupation period, deliberating on policies governing postwar Japan. MacArthur's conference room has been preserved in its original state and remains open to public viewing.

The building was returned to Meiji Life Insurance Company in 1956, after which extensive restoration work was undertaken to recover decorative elements lost during the war and occupation. The first and second floors, including the historic conference rooms, the grand lobby, and period office spaces, are open to the public for guided tours.

In 1997, the Meiji Seimei Kan was designated a National Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government — the first building constructed during the Showa era (1926-1989) to receive this prestigious distinction. Today, it stands as both an architectural treasure and a tangible reminder of the Allied occupation of Japan, bridging the prewar and postwar eras of Japanese history.