Japan to Convert Tokyo Station Car Park into Missile Shelter
SCMP · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Tokyo's metropolitan government has announced plans to convert an underground parking facility near Tokyo Station into an emergency shelter designed to protect residents and tourists in the event of a ballistic missile attack. Governor Yuriko Koike revealed the initiative at a press conference earlier this month, describing the plan as a necessary response to what she called "a serious and grave threat that can never be tolerated" from North Korea's ongoing missile development programme .
Key Points
- The Yaesu underground car park, located 2 to 11 metres below ground with approximately 13,000 square metres of floor space, will undergo conversion into a missile shelter
- Planned modifications include the installation of blast-proof doors and emergency supply storage shelves to provide protection and provisions during emergencies
- This will be Tokyo's second underground emergency shelter, joining a 1,400-square-metre facility currently being converted at Azabu-Juban subway station
- A survey will commence in the current financial year and continue through the 2027 financial year to assess construction requirements and costs before completion dates can be determined
- Governor Koike highlighted the site's strategic importance, noting Tokyo Station serves as "the gateway to the capital" with high foot traffic from visitors
Why It Matters
The shelter project reflects Japan's heightened security concerns amid North Korea's repeated ballistic missile tests into the Sea of Japan and its advancing nuclear programme. The initiative also comes as Japan's central government separately announced plans to establish similar shelters in remote islands of Okinawa Prefecture, responding to China's growing military pressure on Taiwan .
The shelter project reflects Japan's heightened security concerns amid North Korea's repeated ballistic missile tests into the Sea of Japan and its advancing nuclear programme. The initiative also comes as Japan's central government separately announced plans to establish similar shelters in remote islands of Okinawa Prefecture, responding to China's growing military pressure on Taiwan .