Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C.
| Embassy of Japan | |
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| Coordinates | 38°54′56″N 77°3′22″W / 38.91556°N 77.05611°WCoordinates: 38°54′56″N 77°3′22″W / 38.91556°N 77.05611°W |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Address | 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW |
| Ambassador | Kenichirō Sasae |
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Japanese Embassy
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| Built | 1931 |
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| Architect | Delano & Aldrich |
| NRHP Reference # | 73002092 |
| Designated | February 20, 1973 |
The Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. is the diplomatic mission of Japan to the United States. It is located at 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, D.C., in the Embassy Row neighborhood.
The incumbent Ambassador is Kenichirō Sasae, who presented his credentials in November 2012.Ichirō Fujisaki served as ambassador from 2008 to October 2012.
The embassy was designed by the U.S. firm of Delano & Aldrich (one of whose principals was William Adams Delano, a distant relative of President Franklin D. Roosevelt). Emperor Hirohito allegedly approved the design personally. The United States Commission of Fine Arts approved the design of the building on September 16, 1930. Erected in 1931, the building is in the Georgian Revival architectural style, with subtle elements of Japanese architecture.
As originally designed, the embassy consisted of the ambassador's residence, two chancery buildings with strong Japanese architectural influence, a tea house, and tennis, gym, and other recreational facilities. The embassy features a cobblestone courtyard and driveway in front of the building. The original embassy building is now known as the Old Ambassador's Residence, and is located at 2516 Massachusetts Avenue NW. The original embassy and the two chancery buildings are two-and-a-half stories in height, with two underground levels. The total building height is about 31 feet (9.4 m). The chancery buildings, which front onto Massachusetts Avenue NW, are about 98 feet (30 m) wide. The grounds were landscaped to complement Rock Creek Park, which abuts the rear of the embassy grounds. As of 1971, the Japanese Embassy was one of the few remaining formal estates in the city. The total cost of construction was $500,000.
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