The building was finished in December 1990 at the expense of ¥157 billion (about US$ 1 billion) of public money. It replaced the former Tokyo City Hall at Yūrakuchō which was built in 1957 and designed by Kenzo Tange (who also designed the said successor building). The former Tokyo City Hall is now the site of the Tokyo International Forum.
The building held the title of the tallest building (by roof height) in Tokyo, at 243 meters [797 ft],[3] from 1990 to late 2006, when it surrendered its title upon the completion of Midtown Tower.
Though it has not gained the same degree of worldwide recognition as Tokyo Tower or Tokyo Skytree, the Metropolitan Government Building has come to represent the city in its own right. It frequently appears in Japanese science fiction as a symbol of authority or, often, serving as the basis of type scenes depicting a futuristic or post-apocalyptic Shinjuku.