Construction on Building No. 1, which houses the Komaba I Campus’ clock tower, was started in August 1931 and completed in July 1933. The structure was built after the Great Kanto Earthquake, with Professor Yoshikazu Uchida in charge of reconstruction efforts at Tokyo Imperial University and throughout the rest of what was then called Tokyo City. He designed the building to evoke a sense of unity between the University and the First Higher School of Tokyo (also called Ichikou). Among the trees surrounding Building No. 1 are Western Oak trees and Olive trees, which were two of Ichikou’s symbols. During World War II, Ichikou students who were in charge of air defense used the clock tower for air surveillance.
