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Khaldon Azhari

TOKYO: The Tokyo Metropolitan Government headquarters building was lit up in red on Thursday for the second time in one week, representing a red alert. The building is usually lit in blue.

The red color urges Tokyoites to stay vigilant and respect social distancing as local authorities announced that 28 new cases of COVID-19 were detected that day.

During the previous week, less than 10 new cases per day were reported, which accelerated the lifting of Japan’s emergency declaration and the recovery of business activity. But fears of a second wave remain.

The 243-meter-tall Tokyo Metropolitan Government building is one of the landmark buildings in the Japanese capital and can be seen from tens of kilometers away.

The building’s construction began in 1988. It has two towers which each housing an observatory at a height of 202 meters. It was the tallest building in Tokyo until being overtaken by the Midtown Tower in 2007.

The towers and the surrounding buildings contain offices and the assembly hall of the metropolitan government of Tokyo.