A Road Runs Through It
In the heart of Osaka’s Fukushima ward, a highway slices through the fifth to seventh floors of a 16-story office tower. Known as the Gate Tower Building, it has become one of Japan’s most unconventional architectural sights. Office workers ride elevators that skip floors five through seven.
The Hanshin Expressway’s Ikeda Route passes directly through the structure, not touching it, but supported on pillars beside it. What appears from the outside as an impossible fusion of road and building is, in fact, the result of legal negotiations, engineering precision, and a rare urban compromise.
The Highway Tenant
The Umeda exit ramp of the Ikeda Route enters the Gate Tower Building on floor five and exits on floor seven. The highway segment functions as a bridge, with no physical contact with the tower itself. It is enclosed by a protective structure that shields the building from traffic noise and vibration.
These three floors contain only elevators, staircases, and mechanical equipment—no offices or meeting rooms. The elevator system is designed to bypass these floors completely, going from floor four directly to floor eight. For the purpose of leasing, the highway is considered a tenant, a concept almost unheard of in conventional real estate practice.
Property Dispute Meets Innovation
The land on which the Gate Tower Building stands had been owned since the Meiji period by a company that once sold wood and charcoal. As the demand for these fuels declined, the company’s buildings fell into disuse.
In the 1980s, redevelopment was proposed, but construction permits were blocked due to pre-existing plans for the Hanshin Expressway. The landowners refused to sell, leading to five years of negotiations with highway authorities. Instead of relocating the highway or abandoning the building project, a joint-use solution was pursued.
Laws Changed for One Building
To allow the dual use of space by both highway and building, multiple legal frameworks had to be amended. In 1989, revisions were made to city planning laws, building codes, highway laws, and redevelopment laws. These changes enabled unified development, where highways and buildings could occupy the same vertical space.
The adjustment was originally intended for use in Tokyo, but ended up being applied in Osaka. Thus, the Gate Tower Building became the first structure in Japan with a highway running through it. While still a rare arrangement—most highways near dense urban areas are built underground—it remains a landmark case of architectural and legal coordination.
In Osaka, Japan, drivers on the Ikeda Route of the Hanshin Expressway pass through a building—literally.
The Gate Tower Building, a 16-floor office tower, has a highway ramp that runs directly through its fifth to seventh floors without touching the structure…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/7lZ2EUwAf2
— Detective Tiger’s Stories (@TigerDetective) May 23, 2025