Posted on Mar 15, 2006 in Front Page Features, War College

General MacArthur’s Tokyo HQ

Situated on the 6th floor of Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance building in Tokyo, the office of General MacArthur remains preserved to this day, hidden away to all but a select few who know of its existence – visits strictly by appointment only.



The Dai-ich building

It is said that MacArthur chose to house his Tokyo office on the sixth floor as it was higher even than the Imperial Palace. Whether or not this is true, the wood-panelled HQ is remarkably plain, nice, but is not terribly ornate. There are no crystal chandeliers, fancy floor lamps, or medieval tapestries befitting a reigning monarch, a shogun, or a Fortune 500 CEO. The room is no bigger, maybe even smaller, than a typical corner office of many of today’s self-absorbed senior executives. Except that the General’s office is not even in the corner but in mid-6th floor, overlooking the Imperial Garden – the same garden where Tokyo Rose promised he’d be publicly hanged after the war.

Reception room adjoining MacArthur’s office



The General’s worn-out leather chair and drawer-less desk

MacArthur’s office is between the reception area and his staff’s office. Dai-ichi management has carefully tried to preserve the original setting of the General’s office, including his desk, chair, picture frames, two original paintings by a little-known Boston painter, similar drapes, etc.



The Reception area

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The Dai-ichi corporate guide claims the Emperor had indeed visited the General’s HQ (the famous photograph of their first meeting took place at the U.S. embassy). Conveniently situated across the Emperor’s Palace grounds, the original 6-story, squat, non-descript Dai-ichi building survived the Tokyo fire bombing of WW2. A high-rise was added a couple of decades later.