Architecture in Tokyo has largely been shaped by Tokyo's history. Twice in recent history has the metropolis been left in ruins: first in the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake

1923 Great Kanto earthquake

The struck the Kantō plain on the Japanese main island of Honshū at 11:58:44 am JST on September 1, 1923. Varied accounts hold that the duration of the earthquake was between 4 and 10 minutes...

 and later after extensive firebombing in World War II

Bombing of Tokyo in World War II

The bombing of Tokyo, often referred to as a "firebombing", was conducted by the United States Army Air Forces during the Pacific campaigns of World War II. The U.S. mounted a small-scale raid on Tokyo in April 1942, with large morale effects...

. Because of this, Tokyo's current urban landscape is one of modern and contemporary architecture, and older buildings are scarce.

Notable buildings in the metropolis include:

• Tokyo Tower
  Tokyo Tower
  is a communications and observation tower located in Shiba Park, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. At , it is the second tallest artificial structure in Japan. The structure is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations.Built in...
  
  
• Rainbow Bridge
  Rainbow Bridge (Tokyo)
  The is a suspension bridge crossing northern Tokyo Bay between Shibaura Pier and the Odaiba waterfront development in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.Construction started in 1987 and was completed in 1993. The bridge is long with a main span of . Officially called the "Shuto Expressway No...
  
  
• National Diet Building
  National Diet Building
  The is the place where both houses of the Diet of Japan meet. It is located at 1-chome, Nagatachō, Chiyoda, Tokyo.Sessions of the House of Representatives take place in the left wing and sessions of the House of Councillors in the right wing....
  
  
• Yoyogi National Gymnasium
  Yoyogi National Gymnasium
  is an arena in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo, Japan which is famous for its suspension roof design.It was designed by Kenzo Tange and built between 1961 and 1964 to house swimming and diving events in the 1964 Summer Olympics. A separate annex was used for the basketball competition at those same games...
  
  
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
  Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
  The , also referred to as Tokyo City Hall or Tochō for short, houses the headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which governs not only the 23 wards, but also the cities, towns and villages that make up Tokyo as a whole....
  
  
• Tokyo Big Sight
  Tokyo Big Sight
  is the popular nickname for the , a Japanese convention center that opened in April 1996. Located in Odaiba, Tokyo Bay, the center is one of the largest convention venues within the city, and its most iconic representation is the visually distinctive Conference Tower.-Construction:Contracted by the...
  
  
• Asahi Beer Hall
  Asahi Beer Hall
  The Asahi Beer Hall is one of the buildings of the Asahi Breweries headquarters located on the east bank of the Sumida River in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed by French designer Philippe Starck and was completed in 1989...
  
   by Philippe Starck
  Philippe Starck
  Philippe Patrick Starck is a French product designer and probably the best known designer in the New Design style...
  
  
• Tokyo Station
  Tokyo Station
  is a train station located in the Marunouchi business district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, near the Imperial Palace grounds and the Ginza commercial district....
  
   red brick building
• Tokyo International Forum
  Tokyo International Forum
  The is a multi-purpose center in Tokyo, Japan.One of its halls seats 5,000. In addition to seven other halls, it includes exhibition space, a lobby, restaurants, shops, and other facilities....
  
  
• Roppongi Hills
  Roppongi Hills
  is a New Urban Centre and one of Japan's largest integrated property developments, located in the Roppongi district of Minato, Tokyo.Constructed by building tycoon Minoru Mori, the mega-complex incorporates office space, apartments, shops, restaurants, cafés, movie theaters, a museum, a hotel, a...
  
  

External links

• Tokyo Architecture
• checkonsite.com architectural guide to Tokyo - combines maps, addresses, ratings, reviews.