The Ministry of Justice, Where We Found Justice After All

A friend and I decided to take a look at the old red brick Justice Building on a weekday earlier this week after our excellent Thai buffet lunch in the Shin-Marunouchi Building. 

We approached the main gate, which is where all employees go through too.  There, I asked (in Japanese) if we could enter the building.  The guard said no, we tourists cannot go in.  Then I pressed him about reviews on the Google review website that said that tourists can enter the building.  He denied us again. 

Then, after showing him the English text of a review that outlined another person's experience, he caved in.  He asked if we meant to see the Message Gallery.  I was not sure, that name not being familiar to me.  He said we could go there, so I said great, we want to do that.  Then he turned to his colleague and said, "let them in, he speaks Japanese."  It was a frustrating experience getting past this particular guard.  He must have mentioned the Message Gallery up front.  Anyway, we got a pass to get in (without showing ID) and were followed to the entrance by another guard, who shadowed us as we went inside the museum. 

As for the museum itself, There are lots of interesting documents to view, and most have English explanations.  The lady working at the museum spoke English and was very kind. Some of the notable documents included those related to the compilation of the old penal code and the registration of property.

So why is this little museum called the Message Gallery?  The direct translation of the Japanese name is Legal History Exhibition Room.  That's a lot clearer than Message Gallery!  Anyway, the museum only consists of a few rooms, but they are packed with a lot of information.  There is even an English brochure, which is really well done.

Construction of the building itself, often referred to as the Red Brick Building, was started in 1888 and lasted for seven years.  Its architects, Hermann Ende and Wilhelm Bockmann, were invited to Japan by the Meiji Government to build a series of government buildings in Tokyo.  Ende brought a detailed architectural plan from Berlin in 1887. Unfortunately, due to fiscal issues, they were forced to limit construction to this and one other building.  

The German neo-baroque building was built with the latest construction techniques to mitigate the damage of a large earthquake. These measures were put to the test in 1923 when Tokyo shook during the Great Kantō Earthquake.  The innovative design passed the test.  But, it could not withstand the war.  In 1945 the building was bombed, and much of it was destroyed. It was promptly repaired in succeeding years, and was adopted as the main building for the Ministry of Justice.

Entry to the building is free, but as I mentioned above, you should state clearly that you want to see the Message Gallery, which the guards will understand.