Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum

Interesting facts

1. 1

   The museum building was constructed using approximately 2.3 million red bricks, replicating the original 19th-century method.

2. 2

   It is the only museum in Japan that strictly recreates the original architecture of a Meiji-era Western building as its exhibition space.

3. 3

   The interior features a high-ceilinged cafe, Cafe 1894, which utilizes the original bank teller counter layout of the historical Mitsubishi office.

4. 4

   The garden contains indigenous Japanese plants alongside varieties popular in Victorian-era England.

5. 5

   The architect, Josiah Conder, is often referred to as the 'Father of Japanese Modern Architecture'.

Overview

The Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum is a reconstruction of the 1894 red-brick office building designed by Josiah Conder, located in the Marunouchi business district. It specializes in 19th and early 20th-century Western art, frequently featuring pieces by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Odilon Redon. The original structure, the first Western-style office building in Marunouchi, was demolished in 1968 and rebuilt using modern construction techniques in 2010. The museum layout replicates the period floor plan, including a vaulted ceiling gallery and historical moldings. It houses a collection focused on the fin-de-siècle art movement and post-impressionism. The adjacent Ichigokan Garden provides a quiet, manicured green space designed in a mid-19th-century British style. The site also incorporates Cafe 1894, which occupies the former banking hall of the original building.

Insider tips

• Visit the Ichigokan Garden for a quiet reprieve from the surrounding high-rise office district.

• Check the museum's exhibition schedule in advance, as they rotate their permanent collection pieces based on specific thematic shows.

• Book a table at Cafe 1894 during off-peak times if you wish to admire the historical banking hall interior without long wait times.