Kasumigaseki

Kasumigaseki

Located at the southernmost end of Chiyoda Ward, Kasumigaseki is the area that starts from Sakuradamon to Toranomon and is known as a district where the government offices are located.
Many residences of the feudal lords stood here during the Edo era. When the Meiji era began, a majority of them were seized by the government and turned into legations or drill courts of foreign countries. With the construction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an urban project to place all the government and public offices was conducted. As a result, the present-day Kasumigaseki was formed.
Nearby is Nagatacho, the political center of Japan. It also used to be a town where the residences of feudal lords were located. Ever since the Diet Building was completed in 1936, it has been serving as an area housing the Prime Minister's Office, headquarters of various political parties, and important political agencies to this date.