Ginza’s Okuno Building: A Slice of Tokyo’s Early Twentieth Century

The stately exterior of the Ginza Okuno Building.

The sign and round window of an antique shop near the building entrance.

The main hall entrance. The building has a total of 70 suites.

The manually operated elevator doors.

Portions of the hall floor finish have long since been worn away by foot traffic.

The elevator floor indicators are in a modernist design of the period.

The building hosts numerous art galleries, decorated in ways that fit with the overall atmosphere of the place. This concentration makes the building important to artists who want to exhibit their works in Ginza.

The interior of Apartment 306.

Kurota Hirofumi, instigator of the preservation project.

The Suda salon during its heyday.

A sign created by the Apartment 306 Project team is redolent of the time when Suda Yoshi operated her salon here.

The attention to detail extends to the fit and finish as well.

The window with its outside plant box offers a respite from urban life.

Nishimatsu refers to his notes as he relates his story.

A fire hose fixture very much of the period.

Even the windows and staircase railings in the hallway have a certain elegance.