Rooftop Tower Corner

The rooftop tower is the symbol of the Prefectural Office. Access to the inside is restricted.This corner presents previously undisclosed information and photographs of the inner rooms of the tower.

Rooftop Tower Façade

The four-storey tower is built on the rooftop of the Main Building.T he rooftop floor (fifth floor) section was reconstructed from the Official Reception Hall of the old Prefectural Office (1888-1937). It is now a Memorial Room.The outer walls of the Memorial Room are double walls, and are entirely reconstructed from the walls and windows of the old Official Reception Hall.

Diagram of the Rooftop and Elevation

Memorial Room

Photo courtesy of Obayashi Corporation

The Memorial Room functioned as the throne of Emperor Meiji when he paid an imperial visit to attend the opening of the Lake Biwa Canal in 1890. As it was preserved and used in reconstruction, the original crysanthemum-ornamented cornice still remains today.

Unfortunately, this room is currently divided into two sections and used as a meeting room.

The upper section of the rooftop tower is accessed through the side entrance.

After exiting the side entrance, a passageway wraps around the outside of the Memorial Room, and there are stairs to the sixth level.

On the sixth level is an L-shaped passageway. At the end is a ladder to the garret of the Memorial Room.

The ceiling in the garret is low, and it is the kind of place that is relatively dark despite the presence of a lamp.

The building’s ”munafuda” (sign attached to a building’s ridgepole describing its history) has remained in the garret since it was first constructed.

There is a ladder in the center of the garret, which can be used to climb to the uppermost section.

The uppermost section is only 3m², but it is incredibly bright, with windows on all four sides, creating an unbroken view of the area around the prefectural office.

High-rises have been built in the surrounding area, but Lake Biwa is still visible.