Tokyo plans underground missile shelter near central station

Tokyo’s metropolitan administration disclosed a scheme to repurpose the Yaesu Parking Lot, situated just beneath the vicinity of Tokyo Station, into a civilian missile shelter. Governor Yuriko Koike said a feasibility survey will commence this fiscal year and continue into fiscal 2027, after which construction specifics, budget and finish date will be determined. The underground area, spanning roughly 13,000 square metres and lying between 2 and 11 metres below ground, will be fitted with blast-resistant doors and racks for emergency provisions.

This initiative will be the capital’s second such facility, complementing a 1,400-square-metre disaster-supply hub currently being built at Azabu-Juban subway station. Koike highlighted North Korea’s repeated missile launches into regional waters as a serious and grave threat that cannot be tolerated, emphasizing the need to safeguard Tokyo’s residents and tourists. Parallel efforts by the central government include shelters on remote islands in Okinawa and Yonaguni Island, with the latter slated for completion around spring 2028.