National Diet Building

National Diet Building is located at Nagatacho, Tokyo. While current building was completed in 1936, there were two previous temporary structures. The first one was completed in November 1890, the day before the first national diet was held. It was planned by German architect Adolph Stegmuller and Japanese architect Yoshii Shigenori, and the plan has two-story, Europian-style wooden structure. It, however, burned down by electrical fire only two month after its completion. 

The First Japanese Diet Hall

The second one was completed within a year after the fire: October 30, 1891. Yoshii Shigenori and German architect Oscar Tietze made its blueprints. Then, in August 1894, the Sino-Japanese war broke out. In relation to the outbreak of the war, Japanse imperial headquarters, the body that was authorized the power of ultimate decision-making regarding wars, was moved to Hirosima. Diet Hall accordingly was moved to Hiroshima, a prefecture that is very far from Tokyo, and reopened as a newly constructed temporary Diet Hall whose appearance was austere.

The Second Diet Hall

Hiroshima Temporary Diet Hall

In 1906, after the Russo-Japanese War, the construction of new and definitive version of the Diet Hall was decided. There were many troubles before its completion:the Great Kanto earthquake in 1923, a burning down due to a careless mistake by a construction worker in 1925, and the so-called February 26 Incident, an attempted military corp that was taken place around the construction site of the Diet Hall in february 1936. Then, the third version of the Diet Hall was completed on November 7, 1936.

The View of Completion Ceremony for the Third Version