American Embassy In Tokyo, Japan
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The Embassy of the United States in Tokyo (駐日アメリカ合衆国大使館 ''Chū Ni~Tsu Amerikagasshūkoku taishikan'') represents the United States in Tokyo, Japan. Along with consulates in Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka, and Naha, the Embassy provides assistance to American citizens and residents who live in Japan and issues
visas Visa most commonly refers to: * Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allo ...
to Japanese nationals, and legal residents in Japan who wish to visit or immigrate to the United States. The current ambassador is Rahm Emanuel, who assumed office on March 25, 2022. The current embassy building was designed by
César Pelli César Pelli (October 12, 1926 – July 19, 2019) was an Argentine-American architect who designed some of the world's tallest buildings and other major urban landmarks. Two of his most notable buildings are the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur a ...
and
Norma Merrick Sklarek Norma Merrick Sklarek (April 15, 1926 – February 6, 2012) was an American architect. Sklarek was the first African American woman to become a licensed architect in the states of New York (1954) and California (1962). Her notable works include t ...
, and was completed in 1976. It succeeded the previous embassy building built on the same property in 1931 by
Harold Van Buren Magonigle Harold Van Buren Magonigle (1867–1935) was an American architect, artist, and author best known for his memorials. He achieved his greatest success as a designer of monuments, but his artistic practices included sculpture, painting, writing, ...
and Antonin Raymond. The Ambassador's official residence, built together with the then new embassy in 1931, was one of the first buildings specifically built by the US as an Ambassador's residence. It served as the historic meeting place between Emperor Hirohito and General
Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
in 1945. In January 2001, the U.S. Department of State authorized the Residence of the U.S. Ambassador to Japan to be labeled an important cultural asset. In August 2021, while visiting Japan for the Tokyo Olympics, First Lady Jill Biden dedicated a room in the U.S. ambassador's residence to the late U.S. Sen.
Daniel K. Inouye Daniel Ken Inouye ( ; September 7, 1924 – December 17, 2012) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Hawaii from 1963 until his death in 2012. Beginning in 1959, he was the first U.S. representative f ...
and his wife, Irene.


Location

The embassy is located in the Akasaka neighborhood of
Minato Minato (港 or 湊) is Japanese for 'harbor', and may refer to: Places * Minato, Tokyo or Minato City, a special ward in Tokyo, Japan * Minato-ku, Nagoya, a ward of Nagoya, Japan * Minato-ku, Osaka, a ward of Osaka, Japan * Minato (湊), a neig ...
, Tokyo, steps away from the Nagatachō district, home of the Japanese legislature and the Prime Minister's residence. The address is 1-10-5, Akasaka, Minato-ku Post Code: 107-8420. It is easily accessible via the Tokyo Metro Ginza or Namboku Lines '' Tameike-Sannō Station'' and conveniently located close to the
Hotel Okura is a luxury hotel opened in 1962 in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It is operated by Okura Hotels and was a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. The historic main wing was demolished in 2015, with a modern replacement on the site opened in 2019, re ...
.


History


Previous US missions in Japan

The first American consulate in Japan was opened at the temple of
Gyokusen-ji is a Buddhist temple located in the city of Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is noteworthy in that it served as the first American consulate in Japan. The temple and its grounds were designated as a National Historic Site of Japan in ...
,
Shimoda, Shizuoka 270px, Shimoda City Hall is a city and port located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 21,402 in 10,787 households, and a population density of 200 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . In the 1 ...
under Consul General Townsend Harris. Gyokusen-ji is also the location of a small number of foreign graves dating from as early as 1854 marking the final resting place of US forces personnel that died while serving as part of
Commodore Matthew Perry Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794 – March 4, 1858) was a commodore of the United States Navy who commanded ships in several wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). He played a leading role in the op ...
's 'Black Ship' fleet. Harris negotiated the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the two countries, which was signed at nearby
Ryōsen-ji is a Nichiren-sect Buddhist temple in the city of Shimoda, Japan. It is noteworthy as the location of the signing ceremony for the Treaty of Amity and Commerce (also known as the ''Harris Treaty'') between the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan and t ...
in 1858. The United States established its first
legation A legation was a diplomatic representative office of lower rank than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, minister. Ambassadors diplomatic rank, out ...
in Tokyo in 1859 under Townsend Harris. This legation was located at
Zenpukuji Zenpuku-ji (善福寺), also known as Azabu-san (麻布山), is a Jōdo Shinshū temple located in the Azabu district of Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the oldest Tokyo temples, after Asakusa. History Founded by Kūkai in 824, Zenpuku-ji was origina ...
, a Buddhist temple in the Motoazabu neighborhood of southern Tokyo. In 1875, the legation was moved to a site on the
Sumida River The is a river that flows through central Tokyo, Japan. It branches from the Arakawa River at Iwabuchi (in Kita-ku) and flows into Tokyo Bay. Its tributaries include the Kanda and Shakujii rivers. It passes through the Kita, Adachi, Arakaw ...
near Tsukiji, in an area slated as a district for foreigners outside the employ of the Japanese government; this site is now occupied by the St. Luke's Garden complex. The legation moved to the current embassy site in 1890. In January 1906, following Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese War, Japan and the U.S. mutually elevated their legates to the rank of
ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
. Several European powers did so at the same time, indicating a perception of equality between Japan and the major Western powers.


World War II

The U.S. Embassy was closed shortly following the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941. Its American employees (including military attaches) were interned on the embassy grounds until June 1942, when they were sent by ship to Portuguese East Africa and handed over for repatriation. Simultaneously, Japanese diplomats who had been in U.S. were handed over for repatriation. The U.S. Embassy remained closed during the Allied occupation, as the U.S. was the occupying power in Japan. On April 18, 1946,
SCAP SCAP may refer to: * S.C.A.P., an early French manufacturer of cars and engines * Security Content Automation Protocol * ''The Shackled City Adventure Path'', a role-playing game * SREBP cleavage activating protein * Supervisory Capital Assessment ...
General Order 18 established the Diplomatic Section as the primary diplomatic representation of the United States during this period, which was staffed by some State Department employees. Following restoration of diplomatic relations under the Treaty of San Francisco, the U.S. Embassy reopened on April 28, 1952.
Robert D. Murphy Robert Daniel Murphy (October 28, 1894 – January 9, 1978) was an American diplomat. He served as the first United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs when the position was established during the Eisenhower administration. E ...
arrived to serve as the American ambassador. The Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. also reopened on the same day.


Rent payment issue

The land on which the embassy sits is about 13,000 m2 (3.21 acres), and has been leased from the Japanese government since 1896. In 2005, it was reported that the US government had made no payments for the embassy's premises since 1998 after failing to agree on a renewal of the lease agreement. In 2007, the two governments agreed to renew the lease through 2027, following which the US government paid its unpaid rent. The annual rent for the underlying land was set at 7 million yen for 1998–2007, 10 million yen for 2008–12, and 15 million yen for 2013–27. The very low rent amount for the land is due to the age of the lease agreement, and the fact that it originally contained no escalation or adjustment provisions.


U.S. Consulates in Japan

* U.S. Consulate General Naha ( Urasoe, Okinawa) * U.S. Consulate General Osaka-Kobe ( Osaka,
Osaka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto Prefecture ...
) * U.S. Consulate General Sapporo ( Sapporo, Hokkaido) * U.S. Consulate Fukuoka ( Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture) * U.S. Consulate Nagoya ( Nagoya,
Aichi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...
)


See also

* United States Ambassador to Japan * United States Forces Japan


References


External links



United States Embassy in Tokyo, Japan {{Authority control Akasaka, Tokyo Japan–United States relations Tokyo United States Buildings and structures in Minato, Tokyo Government buildings completed in 1976