Japans first Skyscraper — The Kasumigaseki Building
The Kasumigaseki Building, also referred to as the National Education Center is situated in Chiyoda district in Tokyo. As Japans first skyscraper, the distinguished building stands out for its architectural brilliance and massive height along with innovative building technologies. At 156m (512 feet); 36 floors above the grade and 3 floors below the ground level, the towering structures boasts a floor area of 153,234 sq-metres (50,2736 sq-feet).
Primarily made with steel and concrete, building construction completed in March 1965 by the Kajima Construction with the media dubbing the tower a “gigantic tower of iron and concrete” and a “sky town of 15,000 people.” Before construction of the skyscraper, the heights of buildings had been limited to approx. 100 feet (31 meters) however revised building codes opened way for taller structures.
Source: Getty Images
https://www.gettyimages.ca/license/91961161
In this aerial image, Kasumigaseki Building is seen in March 1968 in Tokyo, Japan. Hitachi manufactured and installed ultra-high-speed 300m/min elevator delivered to the Kasumigaseki Building, Japan's first skyscraper.
The Kasumigaseki Building became the epitome of pioneering construction technology for Tokyo adopting new technologies, construction methodologies, and urban planning considerations. One such technology that helped usher Tokyo into the vertical landscape was the ultra-high-speed elevator system. Hitachi supplied the building with Japan’s fastest elevator at the time, which had a speed of 300 m/min. Hitachi constructed a research tower for the project, and used it to begin developing ultra-high-speed elevators.
Official Name : Kasumigaseki Building
Other Names : National Education Center
Country : Japan
City : Tokyo
Street Address : 3-2-5 Kasumigaseki
Building Function : Office
Structural Material : Steel
Construction Start : 1965
Completion : 1968
Elevators :31, 3 common use, 2 for parking area
Also headquartered in Tokyo Japan, the Hitachi Group was established in February 1920. The group operates in several business verticals such as Healthcare, Power Systems, Infrastructure, Industrial Products, Rail Systems, Urban Planning and Development, Defence Systems, IT and Energy Solutions. The Hitachi Group employs over three million people in its workforce and is a distinguished global leader in social innovation.
The construction machinery arm of the Hitachi Group – Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Limited was established in February 1970 which deals in construction machinery manufacturing; sales & service of construction machinery, and transportation machinery, along with other machines and devices required for a wide range of construction activities.
In 1993, Hitachi set a world speed record with the development of an elevator that had a speed of 810 m/min, and it has continued to develop some of the world’s most cutting-edge elevators to the present day. Continuing Hitachi’s unbroken tradition of pioneering elevator technology, the latest research tower was completed in 2010, and was used to develop an ultra-high-speed elevator (1,200 m/min) in 2016. This article presents the history of Hitachi’s elevator R&D work.
The Kasumigaseki Building is an appropriate example of Japan’s cutting-edge building and engineering capacity and aptly showcases its expertise in urban architectural designs and construction mechanism. With such ground-breaking structures in place, building technology in Japan has drastically evolved while innovative construction approaches such as high-speed vertical transportation are transforming the business landscape in the country, for the right reasons.
