サンシャイン６０ "Sunshine 60" is the third-tallest building in
Tokyo, after the
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and the
NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building. It was completed by
Mitsubishi in 1978, built on the grounds of the former
Sugamo Prison. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest building in Asia, towering 240m (787 ft) over
Ikebukuro.
Until 1963, buildings in Tokyo were legally limited to 31m high, because of the risk of earthquakes. Now, buildings exceeding that height must meet stringent earthquake-proofing standards. Sunshine 60 is constructed around a steel reinforced concrete core, and its walls are slitted to allow them to expand and collapse without buckling under the stresses of an earthquake.
Sunshine 60 is primarily an office building, although it incorporates shops on its lower floors and an observation deck on top. It is the anchor of "Sunshine City," a complex that includes a shopping mall, department store, 36-story hotel, and 12-story bus terminal. Going to the top of Sunshine 60 costs ¥620 per person.
The complex is about 8 minutes on foot from JR Ikebukuro Station on the Yamanote Line.