Chapter 2 Reconstruction

1945

→

1957

Section 1. Post-War Reconstruction

2. The Requisition of the Hibiya Daibiru Buildings

The GHQ requisitioned high-rise buildings in the center of Tokyo and Osaka that had escaped the fires of war, one after another, in order to advance its occupation policies in Japan. In Osaka, 50 properties were requisitioned including the Daibiru Buildings, amounting to about 304,132 m2. The first requisition of 780 m2 took place on November 25, 1945, and the second requisition of 602 m2 took place on May 15, 1946, for a total of 1,382 m2. Fortunately, the requisitioned portions were limited to the eighth floor and parts of the rooftop floors, but tenants in the requisitioned portions had to make do with the remaining space that was available.

  • The Hibiya Daibiru Buildings while they were being requisitioned

Meanwhile, requisitioning on an even larger scale was occurring in Tokyo, with landmark buildings being requisitioned one after another. Our company was informed that the Hibiya Daibiru Buildings would be included in the requisitioning, and we enacted measures to prevent it, but those efforts were in vain. On June 21, 1946, the requisitioning of Buildings No. 1 and No. 2 was announced, and they were vacated at noon on June 26. As a result of negotiations, the handover was postponed until June 30, and those involved were kept busy making preparations for the move during the short period between the order and the handover.

The Tokyo Office was no exception and was compelled to move. After settling its outstanding operations, the company was able to rent a room on the third floor of the neighboring Saiwai Building as a curtesy from the building’s owner on August 1, 1946. After the requisitioning, the Hibiya Daibiru Buildings became known as Hotel Osaka and were used as a women’s dormitory for teachers, nurses, switchboard operators, typists, and so on.

The company had to wait until December 1, 1958 for the Hibiya Daibiru Buildings to be returned. The 1,382 m2 of requisitioned space on the eighth floors the Daibiru Buildings in Osaka were returned on April 15, 1952.