Official
U.S. Embassy in Chuo Ward
Currently, the U.S. Embassy is located in Akasaka, Minato-ku. However, before that, as shown on the above information board, the United States Embassy was located at St Luke's Garden in Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku for 16 years from 1874 to 1890. The history of the U.S. Embassy in Japan began with the arrival of Perry in 1853. In 1856 (1856), the first American Consul General Townsend Harris opened a temporary consulate at Gyokusenji Temple in Shimoda. In 1859 (1859), Harris, appointed as Minister of Justice, moved the embassy and residence to Zenpukuji Temple in Azabu, which was lent by the Shogunate. In 1863 (1863), a fire broke out from the kitchen hall of Azabu Zenpukuji, where the embassy was located, and the building was destroyed. In 1874, Minister John Bingham moved the embassy and residence to a foreign settlement in Tsukiji (currently Akashicho, Chuo-ku).
The figure above is a map of the Survey Bureau of the Ministry of War, Chief of Staff in 1884 (1884). There is an indication of the US embassy almost in the center
The figure above shows the scope of the U.S. Embassy on a modern map.
The embassy at Tsukiji Foreign Reservation is said to have been a Western-style building with two-story wooden and cream-colored paint. In 1890 (1890), the Japanese government and Minister John Swift signed a contract to rent the estate and buildings at 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Akasaka-ku, Tokyo (currently 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku) for the United States Embassy. The building after the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to Akasaka was expanded a few years later to become the Hotel Metro Pole.
The photo above is a monument to the site of the United States Embassy. The upper photo shows three units in front of the Toysler Memorial Hall of Saint Luke's International Hospital, and the lower one is two in St Luke's Garden. Komatsu stone cut off on the coast of Izu Peninsula is engraved with U.S. national birds such as white head eagle, shield-shaped star flag, and Goryo stars. According to former diplomat Haruro Kawasaki, at the ceremony commemorating the Centennial of American Independence in 1876, Minister Bingham carved the "star", "Shield" and "White Eagle" symbols of the United States in Japanese masonry. The St. Luke International Hospital, built on the site, had eight memorial stones, three of which were donated to the U.S. Embassy in 1984 (1984) during the time of Ambassador Mansfield.
On the small hill of St Luke's Garden, there is a monument that leaves a remnant of the reservation era, and there is a signboard showing a history under the hill, and the state of the city full of exoticism in the Meiji era has been completely lost. However, it may be a good idea to think of the past while watching the flow of the Sumida River. In writing this sentence, "Chuo-ku History Map Collection (Kyobashi Edition)" "Hundred Episodes of Tsukiji Reservation (written by Masao Shimizu), "Tsukiji Reservation (edited by Tsukiji Reservation Study Group)" "Walk in Chuo Ward (2nd Collection)" "Internet" etc.
Address: 8, Akashicho, Chuo-ku
Access Subway Hibiya Line Tsukiji Station Exit 3b 7-minute walk
8 minutes walk from Exit 4 of Shintomi Station on the Subway Yurakucho Line
15 minutes from Tokyo Station Yaesu Exit bus (for Fukagawa garage) to get off at St. Luke Hospital