The National Diet Building

Construction on the National Diet Building started in January 1920 and finished in November 1936. The building has been in use ever since the 70th Session of the Imperial Diet. Most of the structure is three stories high, but the central area rises above that. There is one basement floor. A tower measuring 65.45 meters dominates the center of the main block. The south wing is occupied by the House of Representatives and the north by the House of Councillors. The previous Diet buildings were wooden structures located at Uchisaiwai-cho near Hibiya Park. The first two built there burned down; the third was in use until the end of the 69th Session of the Imperial Diet, which was convoked in May 1936.

Central Entrance

This entrance is located at the front of the Diet Building, and its bronze doors are opened only for His Majesty the Emperor on the day of the Opening Ceremony, for Diet members on the first convocation day after an election, and for state guests.

Central Hall

This hall, which is found just under the central tower and faces the central entrance, has a floor area of 267.65 square meters. Overhead clearance is 32.62 meters. It boasts stained glass windows and ceiling lights and contains bronze statues of Hirobumi ITO (1841 - 1909), Shigenobu OKUMA (1838 - 1922), and Taisuke ITAGAKI (1837 - 1919), who all rendered distinguished service in the cause of parliamentary government in Japan.

The Emperor's Room

This room is used by His Majesty when he visits the Diet. It is located at the top of the grand staircase that leads from the central hall.

The Imperial Throne in the Chamber of the House of Councillors

Chamber of the House of Representatives

In this chamber, the house holds its plenary meetings. It is 23 meters long and 32 meters wide, and the height to the ceiling is 13 meters. It is capable of seating 480 members. The speaker's chair is in the center of the dais at the front, and the seat next to it is reserved for the secretary general. The members' seats, which form a semi-circle round the rostrum in front of the speaker's chair, are occupied in blocks proportionate to the strength of the political parties and groups represented. The seats in the front line on the elevated platform on either side of the chair are for the ministers of state.

Speaker's Chair in the Chamber of the House of Representatives

Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives

Office of the Vice-Speaker of the House of Representatives

Drawing Room of the Speaker of the House of Representatives

This drawing room, adjoining the speaker's office, is for receiving guests and for meetings of the Rules and Administration Committee.

Dining Hall for Members of the House of Representatives

State Ministers' Room

This room is located on the second floor in the west-central part of the Diet Building. Cabinet meetings take place here when the Diet is in session.

Committee Chairman's Room

This room is situated right above the central entrance and is now used mainly for meetings of the Conference Committee of both houses and for inter-party consultations.

Members' Lobby

The House of Representatives has 30 lobbies for members. These are allocated to political parties and groups in proportion to their numerical strength in the house.

Committee Room No. 1

The House of Representatives has five committee rooms (numbered 1 to 5) in the Diet Building and eight more (numbered 11 to 18) in the annex. This, the largest of those committee rooms, is mainly for meetings of the Budget Committee. It is also used at times for meetings of other committees and for joint examination meetings of committees.

Annex of the House of Representatives

The annex was built in 1969, to the south of the Diet Building, to accommodate more committee rooms. The seats of some of these rooms are arranged in a horseshoe or oval, unlike those in the Diet Building. An underground passageway connects the annex with the Diet Building.

Committee Room No. 17

This is a new type of room in the annex, with the seats arranged in a horseshoe.

Members' Office Buildings

Each Diet member is provided with an office in one of the members' office buildings, which stand side by side across the road from the back of the Diet Building. From south to north they are the First and the Second Members' Office Buildings of the House of Representatives followed by the Members' Office Building of the House of Councillors. They are connected with the Diet Building by underground passageways.

Parliamentary Museum

This museum was built in 1971 in the northern section of Diet Front Park in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Japanese parliament. It had its inaugural in March 1972. The museum is open to the public. It devotes space to those statesmen who have made outstanding contributions to the development of parliamentary government in Japan and contains a number of exhibits illustrative of parliaments throughout the world.

National Diet Library

This library stands across the road from and to the north of the Diet Building. With its modern facilities and large collection of books (about 7,300,000), it is one of the leading libraries of the world.

Diet Building Complex

In front of the Diet Building is Diet Front Park, in one corner of which the Parliamentary Museum is located. The three members' office buildings are at the back of the Diet Building; the National Diet Library is to the north and the Diet Reporters' Building to the south. Also in the vicinity of the Diet are the official residences of the prime minister and the speaker and the president of the two houses, joint ministerial buildings, the headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party and of the Social Democratic Party, and other buildings.