japan national diet tour

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National Diet Building 国会議事堂

1-7-1 Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo-to

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Where the politics and policies of Japan take shape

The Diet is the center of political activity in Japan, and the National Diet Building is appropriately grand. The impressive building located in central Tokyo is made up of the House of Representatives, the House of Councillors.

Quick Facts

Tours of the House of Representatives take place daily

Tours of the House of Councillors are held on weekdays

How to Get There

The National Diet Building is accessible by train and taxi.

If you plan on joining a tour of the National Diet Building, the most convenient station is Kokkaigijido-mae Station on the Marunouchi and Chiyoda lines, and Nagatacho Station on the Yurakucho, Hanzomon or Namboku lines. The National Diet Building is about a five-minute walk from these stations.

A symbol of power and might

No expense was spared in the design and decor of the National Diet Building, which was completed in 1936 after 17 long years of construction. The Central Hall features extensive murals that depict the four seasons and elegant stained-glass windows.

Touring the Diet Building—The House of Representatives

The House of Representatives provides tours of the National Diet in English for non-Japanese visitors. Please consider this tour as one of your options during your stay in Japan. Day and time: Mondays (2:00 p.m.); Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays (3:00 p.m.) Find out more about tours of the National Diet in English on their website.

Touring the Diet Building—The House of Councillors

Small groups can visit the House of Councillors building without advance reservations on all weekdays (Not available in English, Japanese tour only). Find out more about tours of the National Diet in English on their website.

* The information on this page may be subject to change due to COVID-19.

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Visiting the National Diet Building in Tokyo: Take a Peek at Japan’s Government with a Free Tour!

As with other capital cities, Tokyo has a variety of impressive government buildings that are open to the public. Tokyo’s National Diet Building finished its construction in 1936, becoming the main venue of Japanese politics and government. Standing in front of it, you see the House of Representatives on the left and the House of Councillors on the right. Both are open for tourists and you simply can spontaneously come by and sign up for a free tour! Let’s see what awaits behind the doors of the National Diet Building!

Visit the House of Representatives on Every Day; the House of Councillors on Weekdays

First of all, it is important to know when each house is open to the public, what kind of tours are available, and so on! House of Representatives English tours are available with an advance reservation (up to 1 day before your desired tour date) via email. Tours in Japanese take place every day and can be joined spontaneously. An English pamphlet is available. English tours: Mondays (at 2:00 p.m.), Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays (3:00 p.m.) Japanese tours: Monday to Friday - every hour at half past between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (last admission at 4:00 p.m.) / Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays – six tours a day, at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. For more information, have a look at the official website: http://www.shugiin.go.jp/internet/itdb_english.nsf/html/statics/guide/tours.htm. House of Councillors There is no English tour available, but visitors can join the Japanese tours and get an English booklet. This tour does not require a reservation. Japanese tours: Monday to Friday – every hour from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. However, neither building can be visited one hour before a plenary session is held. Tours resume once the session is over. Each tour takes about an hour, accompanied by guards of the parliament, and follows a fixed route. Taking pictures is allowed only at designated spots, videos are banned altogether.

Since we want to introduce you to both houses in this article, we asked for a special permission to take more pictures than allowed on a regular tour. The House of Councillors gave us the OK. Accompanied by a spokesperson, we’ll show you certain things that regular visitors don’t get to see, even if the tour course is the same. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives denied our request. In the Japanese system of two houses, the decisions of the House of Representatives is seen as the superior one and its decisions are weighed more heavily, so the public has a higher interest in it. Taking that into consideration, it is natural that the House of Representatives is tough when it comes to security matters. However, since the general public can visit the place without issues, we decided to focus on the House of Councillors. By the way: the House of Councillors has the role of “complementing, checking, and balancing” the House of Representatives, which is why it is also known as the “chamber of wisdom.”

Surprisingly High-Tech: the House of Councillors

The entrance to the House of Councillors is located on the back (west side) of the building. Simply write your name and address at the reception and go down to the “visitor’s lobby” on the first basement floor. Here’s where people wait for the tour to start, but the room is filled with interesting exhibits teaching the basics about the building and institution.

One of the exhibits is, for example, a model of the National Diet Building, giving you a great overview of the building you’re about to tour. To put it simply, the complex is symmetrical with the white central tower in the center. On the right side is the main chamber of the House of Councillors, bordering the courtyard, and the main chamber of the House of Representatives is on the left.

There even is a replica seat of a Diet member that you can actually sit on (and, of course, we had to try). The backrest is at an angle of 90°, naturally straightening the spine. A black nameplate marks whose seat it is. From time to time, a lawmaker stands up and knocks it down with a clatter. Actual diet seats record a member’s attendance by whether this nameplate is standing on the table. We were tempted to knock it over but barely resisted the urge.

Putting the nameplate in an upright position reveals the voting buttons. There mainly is a “standing vote” and an “open ballot” when it comes to the voting process of both houses. In the House of Councillors, these buttons are installed since 1998 – the institution is surprisingly high-tech.

The Chamber of House of Councillors, also Called the “Theater”

After the bag inspection in the visitor’s lobby, the headed up the stairs to the Chamber of the House of Councillors. The seats for visitors and spectators are on the third floor. As soon as the doors are opened, the “theater” spreads in front of your eyes – it’s a real spectacle. The “stage” is made up of the chairman’s seat in the center and the seats of the ministers of state to the left and right; the surrounding seats of the diet members look like spectator’s. Even though the room is empty, it has an air of a discussion that is just about to begin.

Behind the curtain of the chairman’s seat is where the Emperor sits during the opening ceremony of the National Diet. This ceremony is always held at the House of Councillors, meaning that the chamber of the House of Representatives doesn’t have such an area. Instead, the Emperor has a listener’s seat above the chairman’s seat.

The ceiling is adorned with beautiful stained-glass art. Generally, the National Diet Building is entirely made from domestic building materials, with only three exceptions. One of them is this stained glass, which was processed in Japan but the glass itself was imported from the United States and the United Kingdom.

Walking on the Famous Red Carpet

Leaving the chamber of the House of Councillors features its own little highlight: the door. Its knob is the second import, coming from the United States.

And the third imported element is the letterbox attached to the wall of the hallway, which is also from the States. Any mail that goes in here falls to the basement and is collected by the postal staff. That’s why you’ll find this letterbox at the same exact position on every floor.

The carpets of the National Diet Building are all called “red carpets,” but they’re actually somewhat pink instead of bright red. The color’s name is “royal red,” apparently. We were surprised to see that it has a deep red border. The design creates a calm and elegant color and since we rarely get the chance to walk on a red carpet like that, we made sure to strut all over it.

The central part of the fountain is a ventilation hatch. Air conditioning hadn’t been invented yet when the building was constructed, so fresh air got into the building via this hatch. According to rumors, the horses of diet members arriving via carriage were watered here, but there are no documents that support this claim. Around the ventilation hatch is 18 lion fountains that all have different faces. Their unique expressions represent the diversity of the will of the people.

Who Sits in the Empty Chair?

National Diet Building

The parliament of japan in tokyo.

The National Diet Building is located in the historical heart of Tokyo, in central Chiyoda Ward. A political center and primary legislative body of the country, it has been sheltering the 2 houses of the Japanese Parliament since 1936. Guided tours of its premises attract the general public and school trips.

Japan’s current constitution entered into force on May 3, 1947 , at the end of WWII and during the American occupation. The country underwent a political regime change and became a constitutional parliamentary monarchy . The emperor is still the symbolic head of the nation but the actual power is in the hands of the Prime Minister of Japan.

The latter is chosen by the National Diet , that is to say the Japanese Parliament, that holds the legislative power. This 2-chambers parliament is composed of:

• The House of Councilors (upper house) called Sangiin in Japanese; and,
• The House of Representatives (lower house) called Shugiin in Japanese.

The elected representatives sit at the National Diet Building, located in Chiyoda Ward at the center of Tokyo . The building, of an early 20th century modern architecture , was inaugurated in November 1936 after 17 years of construction works. The white stones and the colonnade facade are complemented by:

• A central 9-story squared tower ; and,
• 2 symmetrical wings , on the right and on the left of the tower, of 3 floors for each of the Houses.

Free guided tour of one of the 2 parliament houses

After a stroll in the Imperial Palace gardens, you can continue to explore Japan’s places of power in a guided tour of the National Diet Building located in the same historical area. From the street, you can spot the massive building at the end of an alley planted with gingkos trees that turn into a golden yellow in autumn   🍁 .

Upon (free) registration and after completing the security and ID controls, the tour begins at the back of the building, and explores one of the 2 parliamentary houses. There are indeed 2 kinds of tours, depending if you chose the one organized by the House of Councilors or by the House of Representatives:

• The House of Councilors offers 8 tours per day , without the requirement of booking in advance, but all guided tours are provided in Japanese only .
• The House of Representatives has English guided tours , but only once a day , in the early afternoon and upon prior reservation and e-mail confirmation of the booking.

The House of Councilors tour is therefore the most convenient, and the one the Japanese chose, especially classes in a school trip . Thus, and even if you don’t speak Japanese, we recommend to chose this tour as it is easier to plan, and certainly the most authentic. Note that an English language paper leaflet is available on site, as well as in the PDF format on the official website (see the link in the Official Website and Information section below)

During 1 hours, visitors are guided through rooms and corridors decorated from floor (in marble and protected by a red carpet) to ceiling, with beautiful stained glass windows filtering the natural light. The solemn highlight of the visit is the House of Councilors’ large half-circle chamber . Visitors are placed in the press tribune and have a view on the central podium where stands the Chamber’s President seat, and right behind it, the throne the Emperor uses when he presides over the Opening Ceremony of plenary sittings. Then, visitors are guided to the Emperor’s richly ornamented office , protected by a glass wall, then to the majestic stairway in the central tower. The tour ends outside in front of the Diet Building in the garden where trees originating from each prefecture of Japan are growing.

Pictures are allowed throughout the visit and we recommend arriving about half an hour before the start of the guided tour , so as to leisurely complete the security checks at the entrance of this high security building of an utmost importance for the country.

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National Diet Tour

Time out says.

Bit of a political buff? Educate yourself on the inner workings of Japanese democracy with a tour of the National Diet Building, the centre of political activity in Japan. There are two 60-minute tours: one for the House of Representatives, which requires email reservations, and another for the House of Councillors. We recommend the former as the prior reservation guarantees a time slot as well as an English-speaking guide. The tour runs once in the afternoon on weekdays and you’re able to peek into the House of Representatives chamber and the Emperor’s Room, a lavish space which is reserved for the monarch’s visits. The Roman-style architecture and sumptuous interiors are enough to win any design lover’s vote. Don’t forget your passport – you’ll need it for entry.

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INFORMATION

• address 1-7 Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
• tel 03-5521-7445
• business_hour 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (guided tours start every hour on the hour. Last tour starts at 4:00 p.m.)
• access 3-minute walk from Subway "Kokkai-gijidomae Sta."

The Diet and the Central Hall are open for tours. The National Diet Building brings together the refined aspects of Japanese culture.

The National Diet Building is a 3-minute walk from Subway Kokkai-gijidomae Station. As the country’s sole legislative system, this is the hall where the proceedings of the Diet are held, such as enacting laws, deciding budgets, and appointing a Prime Minister.

• The first Imperial Diet was opened in 1890 (Meiji 23). The first provisional building, where the first Diet meeting was held, burned down almost two months after it was constructed. The second provisional building was quickly built after that. Then, in 1920 (Taisho 9), WATANABE Fukuzo’s design for the new Diet building was chosen from open selections and construction soon began. However, construction of the new Diet building was halted due to the construction of the third provisional building after the second provisional building was also burned down. Seventeen years after the start of the construction, the new Diet building was completed in November 1936 (Showa 11).

The Diet is where legislative bills are deliberated and the Prime Minister’s policy speech is held. At the Diet’s opening ceremony, His Majesty the Emperor is greeted by members of the Diet. His Majesty the Emperor sits on a chair at the center-front of the Diet behind the Speaker’s seat. On the ceiling, there is a skylight with an arabesque pattern.

The Central Hall, an atrium that stretches from the second floor to the sixth floor, is located between the House of Councillors and the House of Representatives. The height from floor to ceiling is around 33 meters, which is the same height that could accommodate the five-storied pagoda of Horyu-ji Temple. In the hall, there are bronze statues of ITO Hirobumi, OKUMA Shigenobu, and ITAGAKI Taisuke that were built to honor their achievements in politics. There is one vacant pedestal upon which no statue is built. There are various theories as to why there is no statue, such as no fourth statue being decided and left for later or it was decided to include the hidden message that “Politics is never complete.”

• Since November 1990, the National Diet Building has been lit up every day to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Diet’s establishment. It is lit up from sunset until 8:00 p.m.  When lit up, the Center Tower stands out against the night sky, and the area is enveloped in majestic atmosphere.

The National Diet Building is also known as a leading spot for autumn leaves in Tokyo. A row of ginkgo trees, about 300 meters long, lines the front of the building and dyes the city yellow around mid-November. As many as 146 gingko trees are planted on this tree-lined avenue lovingly called the Golden Road.

The National Diet Building is not only the highest agency of state power, it is also a condensed version of Japanese tradition. We hope that you will visit the House of Councilors and see its beautiful decor up close and in person.

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Taxes Aside, Even Government Can Be Cheap and Fun

The National Diet Building ( Kokkai-gijido ) in the Chiyoda ward is the center of political activity in Japan. It houses the two main decision-making branches of the Japanese government, the House of Councillors and the House of Representatives. The activities in the large “main chamber” halls for each House appear regularly on Japanese television news programs and important session meetings are often broadcast live. Tours of the facilities of each House are free and surprisingly interesting even if you don’t know much about Japanese government.

The tours are virtually identical. Visitors see the public gallery of the main chamber of its respective house, the waiting rooms of the Emperor and the Imperial family, the Central Hall, and the garden in main courtyard. But, for those with some time on their hands, it is interesting to do both tours and see the differences between the Emperor’s seating area in the main chamber of each House. (Hint: One has never been visited by the Emperor and is covered by a curtain. The other is used by the Emperor and is visible.)

Tour summary

The House of Councillors tour does not require a reservation, so you can easily just drop in, but there are limited English-language resources. The House of Representatives tour is the best for foreigners, but requires a reservation. There are many English-language resources and you can take photos of the main chamber. Be sure to ask someone to point out the fossils.

Tour details

House of councillors.

Tours of the House of Councillors happen every hour from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. The tour runs about sixty minutes and is free, with no reservation necessary. You can’t take photos in the building, only at the end of the tour in the garden courtyard. You need to bring a passport, fill out a short visitor’s form, and do a quick security check before entering, so arrive a few minutes early. The tour entry gate is on the west side of the Diet Building on the north corner near Nagatacho Station. I received an interesting English pamphlet to entertain me while the tour was conducted entirely in Japanese.

Website : http://www.sangiin.go.jp/eng/info/dbt/index.htm

House of Representatives

Tours of the House of Representatives run about ninety minutes and are free. You can take photos in the main chamber as well as at the end of the tour in the garden courtyard. You need to bring a passport, fill out a short visitor’s form, and do a quick security check before entering, so arrive a few minutes early. The tour entry gate is on the west side of the Diet Building, pretty much at the building’s midpoint. Tours for Japanese speakers happen daily, but non-Japanese speakers cannot take these tours. You can take a tour in English on Monday at 2:00 p.m. or Thursday at 3:00 p.m., and you must make an advance reservation by email. The tour guide gave us a useful English pamphlet that contained more detail than the pamphlet from the House of Councillors.

Website :  http://www.shugiin.go.jp/internet/itdb_english.nsf/html/statics/guide/tours.htm

To make a reservation, send an email to [email protected] that includes the following six pieces of information: your preferred tour date, your name/name of your group leader, number of people who will take the tour, contact email address, physical address in your home country, your contact information in Japan (hotel name and phone number).

Insider tip

One of the really cool features of the Diet Building is that the walls contain fossils, but they are hard to see due to the wall texture. The tour guide did not know where the fossils were located, but the security guard enthusiastically pointed them out with his flashlight, excitedly showing everyone the ancient plants, shells, insects, and fish skeletons embedded in the walls. I foolishly waited to ask about the fossils at the end of the tour, but I wish I had asked at the beginning so the tour guide knew I was interested.

Nearby cheapo points of interest

• The Diet Building is only a few blocks from the official residence of the Prime Minister, and you can see some of this beautiful house from the street.  Security guards are checking cars, but foot traffic is permitted beyond the security checkpoints.
• If you need a cheap lunch before your Diet Tour, there is a tasty and inexpensive cafeteria in the Diet Library one block north of the Diet Building. The menu is huge and worth visiting just to see the huge display case of food offerings. Every item is numbered, making it easy to order at the ticket vending machine. You have to get a free, single-day pass for the library from the kiosk by the main entrance, but it is worth this minimal effort for the cheap food and a quick walk through this famous library.
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National Diet Building

• Published on : 28/12/2012
• by : Japan Experience
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National Diet Building, Tokyo. Read about the National Diet Building, the seat of Japanese government in Tokyo.

Tokyo Area Guide: National Diet Building 国会議事堂

The German-influenced three-storey National Diet Building on Kasumigaseki Hill in Nagatacho is Japan's parliament and center of government and a well-known Tokyo landmark.

The 65.5m tall reinforced concrete and granite structure was completed in 1936 after 18 years of construction work. All the building materials including the interior marble are locally-sourced.

The front of the building is approached from the east. Facing it, the south wing (to your right) contains the House of Councillors and the north wing (to your left) is the House of Representatives.

Free guided tours of the House of Councillors (about 60 minutes long) are available to the casual tourist. (A tour of the House of Representatives requires an invitation from a member of the House.)

House of Councillors: Mon-Fri (except national holidays) 8am-5pm; Tel: (03) 5521 7445 (Reception, House Police Department). (Tours may be suspended when the houses are in session.)

Access to the House of Councillors

For a tour, approach the Diet complex from behind, i.e. from the west. Coming from Nagata-cho station (Exit 1), the tour reception building is just to the right of the Annex of the House of Councillors. Look for the "Tours of the House of Councillors: Entrance" sign. Just across the road from Nagata-cho Station (Yurakucho subway line).

Nagatacho Station

BEWARE: there are no less than three different "Nagata-cho" stations, all within 5 minutes walk of each other:

• Nagata-cho station, Yurakucho subway line
• Nagata-cho station, Hanzomon subway line
• Nagata-cho station, Namboku subway line

However, the exit numbers are shared by all three stations. They are not duplicated.

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National Diet

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The National Diet Building was constructed between 1920 and 1936 and is where both houses of the National Diet of Japan meet. The House of Representative sessions take place in the left-wing, while the House of Councillors meets in the right-wing. Interestingly, the Diet Building is constructed out of Japanese-made materials, save for the stained glass, door locks, and pneumatic tube system.

English tours of this attraction are canceled until further notice, as part of a nationwide drive to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19 disease). Japanese-language tours resumed on June 17th, 2020.

Plans for the Diet Building began as early as 1880, however, thanks to design disputes, the fall of the Ito government, and two separate fires (destroying the first building in 1891 and the second in 1925) they were postponed. It wasn’t until 1918 when a public design competition sponsored by the Finance Ministry that the design by Watanabe Fukuzo won and a final image for the building was created.

Tour of the House of Representatives

Free English tours are available of the National Diet, for non-Japanese visitors. Each session takes about 60 minutes, with slots limited and advance email reservation required. They take place every weekday afternoon (3pm, or 2pm on Mondays).

Discover more

Tour of the House of Councillors

A free 60-minute tour can be joined without prior reservation, during visiting hours. A Diet guard will escort visitors through the House of Councillors, taking in highlights such as the Public Gallery, Emperor's Room and Front Courtyard.

Nearby Station

• Yamanote Line

Opening Hours

Phone number.

shugiin.go.jp

Central Hall

Reaching up the 6th floor, the stained-glass ceiling is one of its main features. Also of note are the four oil paintings of Japan’s four seasons painted not by famous artists, but by Japanese art students. In each of the four corners, there are statues of Itagaki Taisuke, Okuma Shigenobu, Ito Hirobumi, and one empty pedestal for display of a pine bonsai on the first day of the Diet session.

Central Tower

This was the tallest building in Japan until 1964 at 65.45 meters. The pyramid-shaped dome houses a spiral staircase that leads all the way up to the observatory on the top floor of the tower. Sadly, the observatory and hall are closed today and only the building manager has access.

The Gokyusho was supposedly allotted 10% of the original Diet Building’s budget. It makes up the private chambers for the Emperor to rest during his visits to the Diet. It’s not difficult to see why it might have been so expensive with its luxurious interior.

Public Gallery

Above the back end of the Chambers of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors is the public gallery. To visit the public gallery, guests must present their admission ticket and maintain chairman-mandated statues.

General Amenities

• Information Counter

The National Diet Building is a 5-minute walk from Kokkaigijido-mae Station on the Marunouchi and Chiyoda lines, or Nagatacho Station on the Yurakucho, Hanzomon, and Nanboku lines.

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• Roppongi / Akasaka Other Japanese Cultures & Traditions

JUL 12.2018

APR 03.2023

• Unique Experience

The National Diet Building: A Free Tour through the Stage of Japanese Politics!

Japanese politics come to life here at the National Diet Building. You may not know, but the National Diet Building is actually open to the public and provides tours. The tour shows you the up-close behind the scenes of Japanese politics. Sign-ups are available at the individual, and best of all, it's free! Here, we will introduce you to this educational tour that is open to anybody interested in the Japanese National Diet Building!

About The National Diet Building

The National Diet Building, or "Kokkai-Gijido" in Japanese, is the center of Japanese politics, where important decisions are made every day. The building was completed in 1936, after 16 long years of construction. The building is made in a symmetrical shape, and looking from the front, the building on the left-hand side is the House of Representatives (衆議院; shuugi-in), and building on the right hand side is the House of Councilors (参議院; sangi-in).

The national diet building from the front

The House of Representatives and the House of Councilors come together in the National Diet Building to pass legislature. From revisions to the constitutions to setting up the provisional budget, all government decisions are made in this building. By joining the tour of the National Diet Building, you can have a first-hand look into Japan’s politics.

About the National Diet Building Tour

The tour is guided by a staff of the National Diet Building. Through the tour, you will receive the opportunity to enter into rooms where congress meetings are held. You can visit both buildings, but you must sign up separately for each of them.

What will you see on the National Diet Tour?

The main chambers, where real-life politics takes place.

The large halls in each of the two buildings are often referred to as the “main chambers”. This is where the sessions are held for each respective house. When viewing the main chambers from above, you can see the intricate details of the architecture. The seats are aligned in a perfect half-moon shape, with delicate designs and carvings on even the chairs. Such elements are hard to spot through the screen or in photos; nothing compares to seeing the main chambers with your own eyes.

The Front Garden has a Full View of the Diet Building's Exterior

The front garden of the National Diet Building

The tour ends at the Front Garden. From here, you can view the entirety of the National Diet Building. With the whole building right behind you, this is the perfect photo spot.

Ginkgo tree

The tree planted in the garden was planted as an 80th anniversary celebration of the building. The significant gingko tree in the front garden existed even before the National Diet Building did, and stands as a guardian of the building.

House of Representatives vs. House of Councillors

Which tour is better.

Tours are available for both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. Both tours take approximately 1 hour, but which should you choose if you only have time for one? Here, we will introduce the features of both tours.

House of Representatives Tour

Main chambers

The House of Representatives tour goes in the order of: House of Representatives main chamber, resting area, imperial room, central hall and front garden.

Photos are allowed at the House of Representatives main chamber. Most other areas of the building do not allow photography, so the House of Representatives tour is ideal for those who want to get some snaps.

House of Councillors tour

The House of Councillors tour goes in the order of: visitors lobby, main chamber, resting area, central hall and front garden.

House of Councillors lobby

The most impressive part of the House of Councillors tour has to be the visitors' lobby that participants enter in the beginning. This lobby can only be visited on this tour. Here, you will see historical exhibits from when the House of Nobles was in operation, that show the history of the House of Counciloors.

Parliamentary seats

Realistic parliament seats are placed in the lobby, so sit in one to feel like a real politician! The House of Councillors also has very few stairs, making it an accessible tour for people with physical disabilities.

Things to be Mindful of During the National Diet Tour

House of councillors tour only takes place on week days.

The House of Councillors tour only takes place on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and begin at every hour. The House of Representatives tour is open on weekends as well.

Parliamentary Session days

On days when parliamentary sessions are held in the main chamber, the entire National Diet Building is closed from an hour before the session until the end of the session. The building is also entirely closed on days of special events, so be sure to check online beforehand.

Photography is only allowed in 3 places

Photography is prohibited in all but three areas of the National Diet Building. Photos are only allowed at the House of Representatives main chamber, the House of Councillors visitors' lobby and the front garden for both houses.

How to Participate in the National Diet Tour

Registration form

You can sign up for the tours at the visitors window. Fill in the registration form and you’re ready to go. There is an English registration form available for non-Japanese speakers as well.

Entry hours

■House of Councillors tour 　Weekdays: 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.; tour starts every hour.

■House of Representatives tour 　Weekdays: 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.; tour starts every hour. Weekends and National Holidays: tours start at 9:30a.m., 10:30a.m., 11:30a.m., 1:00p.m., 2:00p.m., 3:00p.m..

English guidance

The tour itself is only conducted in Japanese, but there are English pamphlets provided.

Access to the National Diet Building

Nearest station: Kokkai-gijidomae Station 国会議事堂前駅 (Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line M14 and Chiyoda LineC07)

From Shinjuku Station

【Shinjuku Sta.】Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line / for Ikebukuro → 【Kokkai-gijidomae Sta.】from Exit 1 → about a 1-minute walk

From Tokyo Station

【Tokyo Sta.】Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line / for Ogikubo →【Kokkai-gijidomae Sta.】from Exit 1 → about a 1-minute walk

From Narita Airport

【Narita Airport Sta.】Keisei Line / for Keisei Ueno →【Nippori Sta.】JR Yamanote Line / for Shinagawa →【Tokyo Sta.】Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line / for Ogikubo →【Kokkai-gijidomae Sta.】from Exit 1 → about a 1-minute walk

From Haneda Airport

【Haneda Airport Sta.】Keikyu Line / for Shinagawa →【Mita Sta.】Toei Mita Line / for Otemachi →【Hibiya Sta.】Tokyo Metro Hibiya / for Karakida →【Kokkai-gijidomae Sta.】from Exit 1 → about a 1-minute walk

The National Diet Building is a Surprisingly Easy Visit

Exterior of the National Diet Building

This building stands as the central core of Japanese Politics. You will be able to feel the importance of its history from your visit. Please come visit the National Diet Building! The tours are friendly to people of all ages.

National Diet Building

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