Construction has begun on the Torch Tower, set to be the new tallest building in Japan. The 1,280-foot-tall skyscraper is expected to be completed in March 2028 according to new reporting by The Japan Times.

The Torch Tower is one of four buildings to be constructed as part of a major redevelopment of Tokyo’s historic Tokiwabashi district. Led by developers Mitsubishi Estate, the design team involved in the master plan’s delivery includes Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei, Koji Matsuda, Sou Fujimoto, Yuko Nagayama, and Takanori Fukouka.

When completed, the Torch Tower will hold a luxury hotel operated by the Dorchester Collection, as well as a 2,000-capacity entertainment hall, offices, and an observation deck. While the hotel, offices, and rooftop observatory will be housed in the tower form, the entertainment hall and retail spaces will be located within a base plinth rising from a single below-ground floor to a sixth above-ground floor.

Both the name and architectural form of the tower draw on the metaphor of the skyscraper being a “torch that lights up the world,” according to developers Mitsubishi Estate. “That is, the light that symbolizes Japan to the whole world, the light that brightens one’s life for the future century, the light that gathers those who come together to build Japan’s future,” the developer adds.

News of the tower beginning construction comes one week after preparations began for a major expansion to the historic Tokyo Imperial Hotel. Last month also saw our editorial cover the completion of a harmonious house renovation in Kyoto intended as a “home for tea and life.”