Tokyo Wartime Bunker To Open To Public
Japan's Defense Ministry plans to open a wartime underground bunker in Tokyo to the public.
The bunker was built by the now-defunct Imperial Japanese Army during World War Two to prepare for air raids. It is located on what is now the ministry premises in the Tokyo district of Ichigaya.
The facility had been shown to the public on a limited basis after the war. But it was closed after its interior began to deteriorate, raising concerns about its ability to withstand earthquakes.
The ministry has decided to reopen it now that quake-proofing work has been completed.
The shelter is located about 15 meters underground and covered in about a meter of concrete.
It consists of three tunnels and has an area of about 1,300 square meters. A ministry record suggests that about 200 people could inhabit the shelter.
A vent to the surface is connected to a stone lantern to conceal it.
The ministry initially planned to open the facility on April 1. But it now plans to decide the date based on developments surrounding the spread of the new coronavirus.
