Embassy of Japan
View the architectural study
Interpretive architectural study of the catalogued property.
2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
The modern chancery joins a low limestone street front to a taller office block with a glazed roof atrium. It stands beside the older residence and its formal courtyard.
| Fact | Value | Basis and sources |
|---|---|---|
| Constructed | 1986 | reported A primary completion record was not located. The reported completion year is retained with an explicit qualifier. |
| Acquired by Japan | By 1931 (site) | estimated The embassy’s official history dates establishment of the old residence to October 1931. The original site had entered diplomatic use by this date. The deed date and purchase dates of later additions remain unresolved. |
| Neighborhood | Sheridan-Kalorama | verified |
| Architect | The Benham Group East | verified Project firm verified in the lighting consultant’s primary record. Robert B. Anderson is a reported individual attribution; the cited 1985 original article has not been independently retrieved. |
| Rooms | 185–350 est. | estimated; Sum of the existing 120–220 modern-chancery and 35–60 historic-residence planning ranges, plus an allowance for the remaining compound building area. The remainder assumes the recorded component areas are comparable to the compound area; that assumption is uncertain. Remaining-area rooms = area × 45%–65% ÷ 250–400 sq ft, rounded outward to five rooms. The separate new residence is excluded. Compound range; individual properties are counted only once. |
| Floor area | 153,800 sq ft | verified; Commercial CAMA LIVING_GBA, compound record |
| Site area | 130,000 sq ft | verified; Shared estate total: 2500/0086. DC ITSPE LANDAREA, recorded square feet. Roads and unrelated neighboring parcels excluded. |
| 2026 Value | $99.6M | verified; Shared estate total: 2500/0086. Active 2026 DC ITSPE ASSESSMENT; land plus improvements. Not proposed value, tax owed, sale price or leasehold value. |
Scope and Evidence
The embassy’s official history dates establishment of the old residence to October 1931. The original site had entered diplomatic use by this date. The deed date and purchase dates of later additions remain unresolved.
Estimated room total; a complete room inventory is unavailable.
Rooms, floor area, land, and assessment cover all buildings on the shared embassy parcel. Individual building studies are available on the embassy page.
- en.wikipedia.org
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- npgallery.nps.gov
- www.us.emb-japan.go.jp
- www.wmclam.com
Research Questions
Where Is Embassy of Japan?
2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC. roof-footprint centroid from DC public geometry in WGS84.
When Was Embassy of Japan Built?
Constructed: 1986. Record status: reported. A primary completion record was not located. The reported completion year is retained with an explicit qualifier. Record reviewed on 2026-10-21.
Who Designed Embassy of Japan?
Architect: The Benham Group East. Record status: verified. Project firm verified in the lighting consultant’s primary record. Robert B. Anderson is a reported individual attribution; the cited 1985 original article has not been independently retrieved. Record reviewed on 2026-10-21.
What Is the Floor Area of Embassy of Japan?
Floor area: 153,800 sq ft. Record status: verified. Commercial CAMA LIVING_GBA, compound record Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.
What Is the Site Area of Embassy of Japan?
Site area: 130,000 sq ft. Record status: verified. Shared estate total: 2500/0086. DC ITSPE LANDAREA, recorded square feet. Roads and unrelated neighboring parcels excluded. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.
What Is the 2026 Value of Embassy of Japan?
2026 Value: $99.6M. Record status: verified. Shared estate total: 2500/0086. Active 2026 DC ITSPE ASSESSMENT; land plus improvements. Not proposed value, tax owed, sale price or leasehold value. This is a tax assessment, not a verified sale price or market valuation. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.