# Tokyo Height Restrictions



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Government sees light over imposing buildings *
24 March 2006
Daily Yomiuri

New measures will see shorter buildings in areas around scenic buildings in central Tokyo--including the Diet building--with the aim of preserving the integrity of public monuments. 

The metropolitan government plans to regulate the height of buildings seen when facing important structures by not permitting builders to claim a special exemption limiting a building's height-to-plot ratio. 

Though an increasing number of municipalities have used local ordinances to regulate buildings' height and color to better blend in with surrounding scenery, it is rare to impose the regulation over such a wide area for the expressed purpose of preserving scenery around monumental structures. 

In central Tokyo, many skyscrapers, including the 54-story Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills and the 44-story Sanno Park Tower, have been built partly due to lower land prices in recent years. 

However, controversy has risen each time huge buildings are constructed in redeveloped areas, as the buildings often do not fit in with the surrounding environs. 

Though the Chiyoda and Minato ward governments have implemented ordinances and guidelines to protect vistas, the regulations could not be imposed when a redevelopment area straddles the wards' boundaries. Also, the regulations' criteria were unclear. 

The metropolitan government's council on scenery submitted a report on the measure in late January. 

Based on the report, Tokyo chose three candidates for the scenery preservation scheme--the Diet building, the State Guesthouse in Minato Ward, and Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery in Shinjuku Ward. 

All three buildings are known for their regal structures and surrounding foliage. 

To be regulated are development plans that affect plots of land measuring 10,000 square meters or more and should receive a building certification from the metropolis. 

In many urban redevelopment schemes, new high-rise buildings are constructed using a special exemption from the plot ratio regulation stipulated in the Building Standards Law. 

The plot ratio regulations are relaxed on such buildings when the designs call for a certain amount of open space for public use. 

The metropolitan government hopes to review the exemption guidelines to prevent the construction of high-rise buildings around the three monuments. 

The scenic boundary for the Diet building, for example, will stretch to about 25- meters from its main gate. To what range the regulations will cover, however, is still under consideration. 

Buildings taller than the Diet Building's central wing--which is about 65 meters high--will not be permitted to be built close by. 

Even buildings in the distance that appear to overwhelm the Diet Building when viewed from the intersection will not be allowed to be built. 

Some in the metropolitan government had expressed concern land developers would fight against the regulation in central parts of the capital where there is high demand for office and condominium space. 

But after listening to comments from those affected, the council said there were many demands for a quick resolution over criteria for the regulation. 

"Buildings' environs are often overlooked in Japan," said Tokyo University Prof. Yukio Nishimura, an expert on urban planning studies. "The authorities, too, have been reluctant to restrict property rights for the benefit of scenery." 

"Though the effort seems to have started slowly, the [metropolitan government's] decision can be praised as it is in line with the establishment of a national law for protecting scenery," he said.


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

Isn't Tokyo planning to build an over 500 m freestanding structure?


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## Minato ku (Aug 9, 2005)

Bad or good news ?

*Paris* has height restriction 
*37* meters


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

A freestanding structure is not a skyscraper, and since the volume of such a structure is much smaller, it won't make as large an impact on the urban environment as an office building or a residential skyscraper.


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## Tom_Green (Sep 4, 2004)

They should at least make one district with no height limit.


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## Shawn (Nov 12, 2002)

Don't worry people, this restriction is hugely limited in scope and will only cover a few specific locations: the Diet building, the State Guesthouse, and the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery. There are no restrictions in Nishi Shinjuku, most of Chiyoda, Akasaka, Hibiya, etc. 

There are already restrictions around Shinagawa due to Haneda Airport; this is why Shinagawa Commons and Intercity is a wall of around twenty 150 meter towers (500 feet) - nothing taller than 150 meters is allowed there.


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