The Neo-Renaissance building known today as the Wako Tower was built on the site of the first landmark of Ginza, the Hattori building, which was erected in 1894 but was destroyed by the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923.

The Hattori building was also a clock tower, and its name comes from Hattori Kintaro, a watchmaker who established the company that became the today’s Seiko. The old clock, which was made by Hattori, was preserved and installed on the new construction. Fortunately the Wako tower survived to the bombings of the WWII, and today is still the landmark of the Ginza district.

Ginza, Tokyo

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Bitchu Matsuyama, the castle on Mount Gagyu