Shinjuku Sumitomo Building

Skyscraper in Tokyo, Japan

35°41′29″N 139°41′33″E / 35.691265°N 139.692605°E / 35.691265; 139.692605CompletedMarch 6, 1974HeightRoof210.3 m (690 ft)Technical detailsFloor count52

Shinjuku Sumitomo Building (新宿住友ビルディング, Shinjuku Sumitomo Birudingu) is a high-rise building in Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.

Design

The building's three-sided construction makes good use of available space, yet the building's design sacrifices valuable floor space by including a massive atrium running the entire height of the building. The building's most recognizable characteristic is its shape and structure. It is most simply described as triangular (a more apt description would be a triangle with all the corners cut off), hence why one of its nicknames is 'the Triangle'.^[1] Also distinctive is the visible emergency elevator, which is used to transport cargo and not everyday passengers.

Development

Construction began in November 1971 and was finished on March 6, 1974. At the time of its completion, its elevators were the fastest in the world at 540 meters per minute. It was the tallest building in Japan and Asia from March to September 1974, when it was surpassed by the nearby Shinjuku Mitsui Building. It was developed by Sumitomo Realty & Development, the real estate arm of the Sumitomo Group, and previously housed Sumitomo Realty's headquarters.

A pioneering skyscraper in Shinjuku, many companies are tenants of the building, as well as several restaurants. The free observation deck on the 51st floor was closed on April 1, 2017.^[2]

Popular culture

In the 1984 film The Return of Godzilla, the Sumitomo Building was knocked over by Godzilla, crushing and breaking the Super X.^[3] Also, in the Doraemon film Doraemon: Nobita and the Steel Troops (ドラえもんのび太と鉄人兵団, Doraemon: Nobita to Tetsujin Heidan), the building was accidentally destroyed in the World Inside the Mirror by the huge robot Zanda Claus.

References

^ Shinjuku Sumitomo Building Floor Guide (Brochure) (in English, Japanese, and Korean). Shinjuku Sumitomo Building Merchants Association Office. December 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
^ "Sign posted in 51st floor hallway". 20 October 2020.
^ "Sumitomo Building: Godzilla and The Dark Atrium". japan-talk.com. Retrieved 17 January 2015.

External links

Official web site of the building (in Japanese)
Shinjuku Sumotomo Triangle Street (in Japanese)

Records
Preceded by Keio Plaza Hotel North Tower	Tallest building in Japan 210 m (690 ft) March 1974–September 1974	Succeeded by Shinjuku Mitsui Building
Preceded by Keio Plaza Hotel North Tower	Tallest building in Tokyo 210 m (690 ft) March 1974–September 1974	Succeeded by Shinjuku Mitsui Building

Skyscrapers and towers in Tokyo

List of tallest structures in Tokyo

Completed

Over 300 m	Tokyo Skytree (634 m, 2012) Tokyo Tower (333 m, 1958) Azabudai Hills Mori JP Tower (325 m, 2023)
200–300 m	Toranomon Hills Station Tower (266 m, 2023) Toranomon Hills Mori Tower (255 m, 2014) Midtown Tower (248 m, 2007) Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1 (243 m, 1991) Sunshine 60 (240 m, 1978) NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building (240 m, 2000) Tokyo Midtown Yaesu Yaesu Central Tower (240 m, 2022) Roppongi Hills Mori Tower (238 m, 2003) Shinjuku Park Tower (235 m, 1994) Tokyo Opera City Tower (234 m, 1996) Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower (231 m, 2016) Shibuya Scramble Square (229 m, 2019) Tokyu Kabukicho Tower (225 m, 2023) Shinjuku Mitsui Building (225 m, 1974) Shinjuku Center Building (223 m, 1979) Saint Luke's Tower (221 m, 1994) Shiodome City Center (216 m, 2003) Dentsu Building (213 m, 2002) Shinjuku Sumitomo Building (210 m, 1974) Toshima Incineration Plant (210 m, 1999) Ark Hills Sengokuyama Mori Tower (207 m, 2012) GranTokyo North Tower (205 m, 2007) GranTokyo South Tower (205 m, 2007) Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower (204 m, 2008) Shinjuku Nomura Building (203 m, 1978) Izumi Garden Tower (201 m, 2002)
180–200 m	Yomiuri Shimbun Building (200 m, 2013) JP Tower (200 m, 2012) Otemachi Tower (200 m, 2014) Otemachi One Tower (200 m, 2020) Shin-Marunouchi Building (198 m, 2007) Sumitomo Fudosan Shinjuku Grand Tower (196 m, 2011) Harumi Island Triton Square Tower X (195 m, 2001) Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower (195 m, 2005) Sannō Park Tower (195 m, 2000) Sky Tower West Tokyo (195 m, 1989) Sompo Japan Building (193 m, 1976) Nittele Tower (193 m, 2003) Sea Tower (192 m, 2008) Mid Tower (192 m, 2008) Kachidoki View Tower (192 m, 2010) Tomihisa Cross (191 m, 2015) Acty Shiodome (190 m, 2004) Brillia Tower Ikebukuro (189 m, 2015) Shinjuku I-Land Tower (189 m, 1994) Owl Tower (189 m, 2011) Atago Green Hills Mori Tower (188 m, 2001) Capital Gate Place (187 m, 2015) Cerulean Tower (184 m, 2001) Sumitomo Real Estate Shinjuku Oak Tower (184 m, 2002) Shibuya Hikarie (182.5 m, 2012) Nihonbashi 2-Chōme Redevelopment Block E (180 m, 2017) Century Park Tower (180 m, 1999) NEC Supertower (180 m, 1990) JA Building (180 m, 2009) Park City Toyosu Building A (180 m, 2008) Keio Plaza Hotel North Tower (180 m, 1971) Tokyo Garden Terrace (180 m, 2016) Shibuya Stream (180 m, 2018)
160–180 m	Akasaka Biz Tower (179.3 m, 2008) Sumitomo Fudosan Mita Twin Buildings (179.3 m, 2006) Marunouchi Building (179 m, 2002) W-Comfort Towers (178.5 m, 2004) Marunouchi Trust Tower Main Building (178 m, 2008) Toshiba Building (165.9 m, 1984) Shiodome Media Tower (172.6 m, 2003) Kasumigaseki Common Gate West Tower (175.8 m, 2007) World Trade Center (Tokyo) (162.6 m, 1970) Tokyo Shiodome Building (173.2 m, 2005) Park Axis Aoyama 1-chome Tower (172.4 m, 2007) Royal Park Shiodome Tower (172 m, 2003) City Towers Toyosu The Twin (171.2 m, 2009) Marunouchi Park Building (170.1 m, 2009) JT Building (169.7 m, 1995) Bay City Harumi Sky Link Tower (169 m m, 2009) Central Park Tower La Tour Shinjuku (167.8 m, 2010) Capital Mark Tower (167.3 m, 2007) Sapia Tower (167.2 m, 2007) Yebisu Garden Place Tower (167 m, 1994) Kita-Shinjuku Area Redevelopment Plan Office Tower (166.5 m, 2011) Naka-Meguro Atlas Tower (165 m, 2009) Marunouchi Kitaguchi Building (147.4 m, 2004) Tokyo Twin Parks (165 m, 2002) Triton View Tower (165 m, 1998) Toyosu Center Building (165 m, 1992) Tokyo Building (164.1 m, 2005) Akasaka Tower Residence (162 m, 2008) Shinjuku Maynds Tower (161.1 m, 1995) Shibaura Island Cape Tower (161 m, 2006) Nippon Seimei Marunouchi Building (160 m, 2004)
150–160 m	Concieria Nishi-Shinjuku Tower's West (159.8 m, 2008) Tornare Nihombashi-Hamacho (159.7 m, 2005) Roppongi Hills Residences (159 m, 2003) Brillia Tower Tokyo (158.9 m, 2006) Prudential Tower (158.4 m, 2002) Park Court Akasaka The Tower (157.3 m, 2009) Atago Green Hills Forest Tower (157 m, 2001) Kasumigaseki Common Gate East Tower (156 m, 2007) Kasumigaseki Building (156 m, 1968) Plaza Tower Kachidoki (155.2 m, 2004) The Toyosu Tower (155 m, 2008) Tokyo Dome Hotel (155 m, 2000) Tokyo Gas Co. Headquarters (155.7 m, 1984) KDDI Otemachi Building (155.4 m, 1990) Takanawa The Residence (153.9 m, 2005) Toranomon Towers Residence (153.5 m, 2006) Ark Mori Building (153.3 m, 1986) Toyosu 3-Chome Area 8-4 Plan (153 m, 2010) Station Garden Tower (153 m, 2008) Tokyo Sankei New Building (152.4 m, 2000) JPower Headquarters (153 m, 1987) Park Tower Gran Sky (152.9 m, 2010) Garden Air Tower (152.6 m, 2003) Shinagawa East One Tower (151.6 m, 2003) Shiba-Koen First Building (151.2 m, 2000) Futako-Tamagawa Rise Tower & Residence Tower East (151.1 m, 2010) Odakyu Southern Tower (150.8 m m, 1998) Air Rise Tower (150.5 m, 2007) JR East Japan Building (150.2 m, 1997) Nihon Keizai Shimbun Tokyo Headquarters Building (150 m, 2009) Kudanshita 3rd Government Building - Chiyoda Ward Office (150 m, 2007) Taiyo Seimei Shinagawa Building (150 m, 2003) Granpark Tower (150 m, 1996)
140–150 m	Shinagawa Grand Central Tower (149.8 m, 2003) Pacific Century Place (149.8 m, 2001) Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Building (148.5 m, 2003) Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corporation Head Office (148.4 m, 2003) Canon S Tower (147.7 m, 2003) Shiroyama JT Trust Tower (147.7 m, 1991) Akihabara Dai Building (147.5 m, 2005) Toyosu Center Building Annex (147.4 m, 2006 BEACON Tower Residence (147 m, 2009) Meiji Yasuda Seimei Building (146.8 m, 2004) Fujisoft Akihabara Building (146.7 m, 2007) Bunkyo Civic Center (145.7 m, 1994) Canal First Tower (145.5 m, 2008) NTT DoCoMo Shinagawa Building (145.1 m, 2003) River City 21 East Towers (144.9 m, 2000) Sumitomo Fudosan Aobadai Tower (144.5 m, 2009) Shinagawa Intercity Towers (144.5 m, 1998) Hotel New Otani Tokyo Tower (144.5 m, 1974) Toyosu Ciel Tower (144.4 m, 2006) Apple Tower (143 m, 2007) Shinagawa V-Tower (143 m, 2003) Shinagawa Prince Hotel New Tower (143 m, 1994) Mizuho Bank Headquarters (142.5 m, 1980) Regale Nihombashi-Ningyocho (142.2 m, 2007) Shirokane Tower (141.9 m, 2005) Hikifune Station Front Area 1 Redevelopment (141.6 m, 2009) Akasaka Park Building (141 m, 1993) City Tower Shinagawa (140.9 m, 2008) ThinkPark Tower (140.5 m, 2007) Shinjuku Kokusai Building - Hilton Tokyo (141 m, 1984) NHK Broadcasting Center (140.1 m, 1973)
130–140 m	Station Plaza Tower (139.9 m, 2009) Sumitomo Fudosan Nishi-Shinjuku Building (139.9 m, 2009) World City Towers (139.9 m, 2007) Olinas Tower (139.3 m, 2006) Kokusai Shin-Akasaka East Building (139.3 m, 1980) Toyosu ON Building (139 m, 1992) River City 21 Skylight Tower (139 m, 1990) Shibuya Cross Tower (134.1 m, 1975) World City Towers Aqua Tower (138.7 m, 2006) The Tower Grandia (138.7 m, 2004) Tokyo Times Tower (138.5 m, 2004) Roppongi T-CUBE (138.5 m, 2003) Venasis Kanamachi Tower Residence (138.2 m, 2009) Royal Parks Tower Minami-Senju (138 m, 2008) Kawadacho Comfo Garden (138 m, 2003) Otemachi Nomura Building (138 m, 1997) Proud Tower Chiyoda Fujimi (137 m, 2009) Cosmopolis Shinagawa (137 m, 2005) Bay Crest Tower (136.6 m, 2005) Renaissance Tower Ueno-Ikenohata (136.5 m, 2005) Nippon Express Headquarters (136.5 m, 2003) Crest Prime Tower Shiba (136.4 m, 2007) Century Tower (136 m, 1991) Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters (135.6 m, 1973) Chiyoda First Building West (135 m, 2004) NTT DoCoMo Sumida Building (135 m, 2003) Akasaka Intercity (134.8 m, 2005) Hotel New Otani Garden Court (134.7 m, 1991) Vanguard Tower (134.6 m, 2007) Riverside Sumida Center (134.4 m, 1994) The Garden Towers (134.3 m, 1998) Yoyogi Seminar Tower Obelisk (134 m, 2008) Nakano-Sakaue Sun Bright Twin (134 m, 1996) Moon Island Tower (133.8 m, 2002) Shinjuku NS Building (133.7 m, 1982) Shiodome Building (133.5 m, 2007) Tokyo ANA Tower (133 m, 1986) Kogakuin University Shinjuku Building (132.9 m, 1989) Sumitomo Realty Shiba-Koen Tower (132.6 m, 2001) NTT Data Shinagawa Building (132.3 m, 2003) River City 21 River Point Tower (132 m, 1989) Shin-Gofukubashi Building (132 m, 1979) City Tower Shinjuku Shintoshin (130.6 m, 2005) The Center Tokyo (130 m, 2007) River Harp Tower Building 2 (130 m, 2000) Tomin Tower Shinonome (130 m, 1996) Sunshine City Prince Hotel (130 m, 1980)