Japan to convert car park near Tokyo Station into missile shelter

The Tokyo metropolitan government has announced plans to convert an underground car park near Tokyo Station into a missile shelter for residents and tourists. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike revealed the proposal in a press conference earlier this month, stating that a survey would commence in the current financial year and continue through March to prepare for revamping the Yaesu car park, which lies approximately two to 11 metres underground.

The modifications are anticipated to encompass the installation of blast-proof doors and provision of storage shelves for emergency supplies. The facility, with a total floor area of about 13,000 square metres, would be the city's second underground emergency shelter, following a similar 1,400-square-metre storage facility currently undergoing transformation at Azabu-Juban subway station.

Koike chose the Yaesu parking facility for its close proximity to Tokyo Station, describing it as "the gateway to the capital" due to its high footfall. The missile threat from North Korea, which has been repeatedly conducting missile tests into regional waters, including the Sea of Japan, prompted the plan. Koike characterized North Korea's missile launches as a "serious and grave threat that can never be tolerated," emphasizing the need to safeguard the lives and property of Tokyo residents.

The project's completion date, specific construction requirements, and costs will be determined after the survey, which is expected to continue into the 2027 financial year. The central government announced plans last year to establish similar shelters on remote islands in the southern Okinawa prefecture, driven by China's escalating military pressure on Taiwan, an island viewed by Beijing as a renegade province to be eventually reunified by force if necessary.

In Japan's westernmost Yonaguni Island, situated around 110km east of Taiwan, shelter construction is slated to conclude around spring 2028.