Uino

Ogikubo-san, let us go to the police box!

Ogikubo

Should I turn myself in? For what?

Uino

Ogikubo-san, have you done something wrong?

Ogikubo

No, no! It was just because you mentioned going to the police box.

Uino

Actually, in this volume of “Visit Ginza’s Architecture,” my idea is to three police boxes in Ginza.。

Ogikubo

Why police boxes?

Uino

I received a request from someone running a long-established business in Ginza to cover the Sukiyabashi Intersection.

Ogikubo

That is a wonderful idea. That police box is a small piece of architecture, but it is like a landmark building guarding Ginza’s entrance. My personal favorite is the Ginza 1-chome police box in Kyobashi, which has some hints of historical design.

The mystery of the “marking pin” on Sukiyabashi Police Box

Uino

So, this brings us to our first stop, Sendagaya.

Ogikubo

Why Sendagaya?

Uino

First, I would like to interview Mr. Kazumasa Yamashita, the architect who designed Sukiyabashi Police Box. Our title being “Visiting Ginza’s Architecture,” I thought we should start with a conversation on buildings.

Ogikubo

I am sure that many people know that Mr. Yamashita has designed many buildings, including From 1st. We asked him about the police box, which a compact piece of architecture unlike a large commercial establishment.

Uino

The Sukiyabashi Police Box is all known by the name “Designer’s Police Box,” and it seems that it was the first police box to be designed by an outside architect. The exterior design, which uses brick panels, is a specialty of Mr. Yamashita, and it also incorporates the historical background of Ginza, which used to be a “brick town.”

Ogikubo

The Sukiyabashi Police Box is famous for the silver ball extending from the pyramid-shaped roof and I had always wanted to hear the story from the architect himself.

Uino

It has already been written about in various places, but we were able to hear it from Mr. Yamashita himself. First of all, it was originally designed as a lightning rod. And in fact, they had planned to put a sculpture on top of it and had even commissioned a sculptor for the project. However, it took a very long time for the design to be completed, and the deadline for presenting the model to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrived before they decided on the sculpture, so they put a marking pin on the roof as a placeholder, which was adopted as the final design.

Ogikubo

I would have liked to have seen the phantom sculpture version of the Sukiyabashi Police Box too

Uino

So, here we are at the Sukiyabashi Intersection. It is a good unique design, isn’t it? It’s cute, as if it popped out of a storybook.

Ogikubo

After hearing Mr. Yamashita’s story, I can’t help staring at the “marking pin”.

Uino

When you lok closely, you notice that not only the brick panels but combination of straight lines and circles represent Mr. Yamashita’s world vision. The eaves are rounded, and the attention to detail is exquisite.

Ogikubo

A “Designer’s Policy Box,” it is amazing that Mr. Yamashita managed to satisfy both a workable layout and aesthetic appearance in such a limited space.

Uino

Now, let us walk along Harumi-dori to Ginza 4-chome.

The Ginza 4-chome Police Box has a mirrored finish

Ogikubo

When you think of the Ginza 4-chome intersection, you think of Wako, Mitsukoshi, the former San-ai Dream Center (currently under construction) and Ginza Place, all standing on their individual corners, and you would not imagine that there was any room for a police box anywhere. However, there is one.

Uino

Anyone would be surprised at how they built this ultimately narrow building. It stands on the sidewalk of the intersection. Here as well, straight lines and circles blend well.

Ogikubo

It stands right next to the subway exit with a width not so different from the stairway; and therefore, there is no oppressiveness about it. What’s more, the mirrored exterior reflects the surrounding buildings; and thanks to this, it doesn’t stand out too much and it probably even has the effect of making the intersection feel narrow.

Uino

Stores also use large mirrors to effectively make the interior look spacious. After this conversation, the police box is starting to look like a large mirror installed in city center.

Ogikubo

It’s almost mysterious when you cross the street to take a photo of it from in front of Wako. Buildings, cars, passers-by… the surrounding scenery is all reflected on the building, and it doesn’t really stand out a building itself. This is a very unique design.

Uino

It is a police box that uses the art of the magic mirror. It is a very formal facility, but it’s also very stylish.

Look out for the roof shape of the Ginza 1-chome Police Box

Uino

Let us walk on Chuo-dori toward Ginza 1-chome. We tend to call it the Kyobashi Police Box since it is located at the foot of former Kyobashi Bridge, but its official name is Ginza 1-chome Police Box.

Ogikubo

I actually really like the design of this police box.

Uino

What is the most important feature of this police box? The unique roof?

Ogikubo

Yes, in fact, the roof was inspired by the main pillars of Kyobashi Bridge, which once spanned the Kyobashi River.

Uino

The Kyobashi River is where the current Shuto Expressway runs.

Ogikubo

There used to be a bridge called Kyobashi here, but it was replaced with a stone bridge in 1875, and the original pier column from that time still remains on the south side of the police box. Then, when the bridge was replaced again in 1922, a modern stone pier column with Art Deco-style lighting was made. This became the motif for the police box. In fact, the stone pier column from the Taisho period are also a must-see, and they can be found on the opposite side of the police box. There is a spot where you can see both at once, so let’s take a look from there.

Uino

Yes, the roof is shaped exactly the same.

Ogikubo

When I noticed that, I thought, “Well done Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, on this design!

Uino

The three police boxes in Ginza all have different concepts and are unique.

Ogikubo

Since they are police boxes, they are very small compared to the buildings around them, but I have the impressions that they are packed with ingenuity.

Uino

olice Box is an indispensable part of the town. I’ve also sought help from one when I was in trouble, and I see people asking for directions there every day. When I’m strolling around Ginza, or meeting someone, or in a real emergency, I hope to be able to find my way guided by these distinctive landmarks.

This time we introduced some unique police boxes in Ginza. We hope you will enjoy viewing them as part of the townscape, but please be careful not to get in the way of the police officers doing their jobs!