Tours of the Bank's Head Office from October 2017
June 23, 2017
Bank of Japan
The Bank's Head Office
In-House Tours with Reservations on Tuesdays
An English-language guided tour of the Bank of Japan is available free of charge for groups of 5-20 people (ages 13 and over; children aged 11-12 welcome if accompanied by an adult) on Tuesdays, 14:45-15:45. Visitors are kindly requested to make reservations in advance (on a case-by-case basis, individuals and/or a group of fewer than five people may be allowed to join a group already scheduled for the tour).
The tour includes an introductory video on the Bank (approximately 20 minutes) and a visit to the Main Building -- registered as an Important Cultural Property -- from the exterior as well as parts of the Old Building -- completed in 1938 -- and the banking floor of the New Building's first floor. Please note that, from October 2017, visits to the following areas will be halted due to reinforcement work on the Main Building to enhance its seismic safety: the interior of the Main Building, the courtyard, the underground vault, the former banking floor, and the Historic Exhibition Room.
In principle, for groups of university and college students of 10 people or more, the tour may comprise a combination of the visit and English-language lectures on the role of the Bank and the framework of monetary policy, instead of the combination of the visit and the introductory video.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused by changes to the route of the in-house tour, as well as by construction noise associated with the reinforcement work.
For details about the Bank's in-house tours until September 2017, please refer to Tours of the Bank%27s Head Office.
- Day/hour of the English-language guided tour: Tuesday, 14:45-15:45.
The tour will not be held if a Tuesday falls on a holiday of the Bank (please see the Holiday Schedule of the Bank).
- Visitors are requested to be present 10-15 minutes in advance of the tour (specific location to be provided to those permitted to join the tour).
- Children under the age of 11 are not admitted on the tour.
- For reservations, please contact us from one week to three months in advance.
- There is no parking space available. Visitors are recommended to use public transportation.
- Lockers are not available. Please do not bring large items of luggage (e.g., suitcases).
- All visitors are required to present an ID1 before the tour. Please also note that visitors will be asked to undergo screening with a metal detector and X-ray inspection of their belongings for security reasons. Visitors are advised to refrain from bringing items that are unrelated to their visits.
- Drinking, eating, and smoking are prohibited on the Bank's premises. Also, photography and audio/video recording are not allowed. Visitors are requested to keep their voices low and refrain from using a cellphone while walking and playing games on handheld devices.
- Any visitor who does not follow the Bank's instructions will not be permitted to join the tour.
- Please note that the tour may be canceled if any changes to the situation should arise.
- The following are examples of acceptable forms of ID: passport; driver's license; health insurance card; employee or student photo ID; disability certificate; credit card with a photo; "taspo," an age verification card for purchasing cigarettes from vending machines, issued after confirming that the holder is 20 or above; and other IDs issued by public entities (e.g., Residence Card, Individual Number Card, Basic Resident Registration Card with a photo, pension handbook, etc.). Copies will not be accepted.
Reservations and Inquiries
Public Relations Department
Address : 2-1-1, Nihonbashi-Hongokucho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
E-mail : prdmail@boj.or.jp
Tel : +81-3-3279-1111
Short Tours on the Day
Guided tours of the Main Building are offered for up to 20 people each day from Tuesday through Friday, 12:45-13:15 (free of charge). The tour consists of a 10-minute introductory lecture about the Bank and a 20-minute walk around the Main Building (conducted only in Japanese). Handouts in English are available.
To join the tour, please register at the reception located on the first floor of the Currency Museum in the Annex of the Bank. Visitor's passes for the tour will be handed out at 12:45, when the tour starts, so visitors are advised to be in the Video Hall on the second floor by 12:45.
- Please note that the tour will not be held on Bank holidays and from December 29 to January 4.
- There is no parking space available. Visitors are recommended to use public transportation.
- Groups of more than 20 people are not admitted.
- Drinking, eating, and smoking are prohibited in the Currency Museum. Also, neither photography nor audio/video recording are allowed in the exhibition room.
- The content of the tour is subject to change without notice. Please check our website in advance for further updates.
- The tour is subject to cancellation due to bad weather.
- Any visitor who does not follow the Bank's instructions will not be permitted to join the tour.
Inquiries
Public Relations Department
Address : 2-1-1, Nihonbashi-Hongokucho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
E-mail : prdmail@boj.or.jp
Tel : +81-3-3279-1111
Virtual Tour
Click here for the Virtual Tour of the Bank.
Introductory Video of the Bank
Click the link below for the video shown during the tour of the Bank's Head Office. Copies of the DVD are also available to rent (only in Japan).
Currency Museum (Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies)
An overview of the history of Japanese currency is provided by the museum. Some 3,000 pieces of rare and valuable currency owned by the Bank are on display. Visitors are welcome to visit the museum's exhibition room. They can join the Japanese-language guided tours from 13:30 (pamphlets in English are available).
For more information, please visit the website of the Currency Museum.
