Building 1 is Designated as a Tokyo Metropolitan Historical Building
Tue, Jan 21, 2025-
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On December 25, 2024, our University’s Building 1 was selected by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government as a “Tokyo Metropolitan Historical Building.”
Building 1 exterior
Based on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Ordinance on Landscape, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government selects historical buildings that have historical value (excluding cultural properties) and are important to the landscape over the past 50 years. Currently, a total of 105 buildings have been selected.
Waseda University’s Building 1 was constructed in 1935 (Showa 10) to house for the Faculty of Law.
Building 1 is located near the main gate of the Waseda Campus and forms part of the historical landscape together with Okuma Auditorium (built in 1927), which was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 2007. At the entrance, there are a pair of granite columns made from the gateposts that served as the main gate during the Meiji period, conveying the history of the university.
Waseda University History Museum is located on the first floor of Building 1, and instead of simply displaying a general overview, it presents materials and information about the university’s history (past, present, and future) from a variety of perspectives, allowing visitors to make new discoveries according to their individual interests. By utilizing a variety of digital media and other means, and combining themed and special exhibitions, we aim to create a facility that is intellectually stimulating and that visitors will want to visit again and again.
The museum is made up of three permanent exhibition areas (“KUON (Timeless Ideals)”, “SHINSHU (Enterprising Spirit)” and “IRAKA (Soaring Buildings”), a special exhibition room, and a theater room where you can watch video programs. There is also a Waseda goods shop and a cafe, and the museum aims to be a place that visitors can drop in and enjoy anytime, rather than simply taking in the exhibits.
In addition to Building 1, Building 2 (built in 1925) has also been designated a Tokyo Metropolitan Historical Building.
Waseda University History Museum
