Abstract
The German architect Wilhelm Böckmann proposed a city plan for Tokyo (“Tokyo plan”) in 1886 that was the first to locate the National Diet Building in its present location on the Nagatacho hill. This, however, has been buried in history, and has not been the subject of any research up to now. This study focuses on this selection of location for the National Diet Building, and is the first to examine the Böckmann's Tokyo plan in detail. In doing so, it has revealed the following: 1) that Böckmann's proposal for locating the Diet Building was radically new, and quite different from government policy and media reportage of the time; 2) that the proposal was based on his firm opinions and thinking, and his solid understanding of Tokyo's topography; 3) that locating the Diet Building on Nagatacho hill was pivotal to his Tokyo plan, particularly his linear design for a radial road network.
