National Diet Building

Completed in 1936 after decades of planning, the seat of Japan's national legislature is a symmetrical granite building crowned by a stepped central tower that was among the tallest structures in the country at its opening. The two wings house the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors, and free guided tours lead visitors through chambers, corridors, and a central hall decorated with statues of political pioneers. Its austere pyramidal profile is a fixture of the Nagatacho government district and a symbol of the postwar order.