Nippon TV’s Giant Clock, designed by Hayao Miyazaki

The Story of the
Giant ClockThe Story
of the
Giant Clock

No one knows exactly when this Giant Clock was built,
nor who its mysterious Clockmaster truly is.

What is known, however, is that after an unimaginably long journey,
the Clock descended upon Shiodome—and eventually made this place its home.

Even now, one can sense the presence of the Clockmaster dwelling somewhere inside,
though almost no one has ever caught a glimpse of the figure.
Along the way, the Clockmaster gathered many curious objects,
and through devoted, painstaking craftsmanship,
each piece began to move as if it had a will—
as though life itself had taken root within the Clock.
It quietly kept time for many years,
and before anyone noticed,
it had somehow gained the power not only to mark the hours
but to announce them as well.

Show Time

MONーFRISAT・SUN
ー10:00 AM
12:00 PM12:00 PM
3:00 PM3:00 PM
6:00 PM6:00 PM
8:00 PM8:00 PM

The mechanical clockwork display begins about 3 minutes before each show.

The Clock’s Characters &
Mechanisms

The Clock’s Characters & Mechanisms
The Realm of Sound
  1. ①The Bell Family — Mother
  2. ②The Bell Family — Father
  3. ③Sound Workshop
  4. ④Instrument Chamber
  5. ⑤Gong
  1. ⑥The Bell Family — Elder Son
  2. ⑦Sound Chest
  3. ⑧The Bell Family — Younger Son
  4. ⑨Rolling Stairs
  5. ⑩Return Stairs
  1. ⑪Tower of Sound
The Realm of Motion
  1. ①Conveyor Belt
  2. ②Large Bellows
  3. ③Master Blacksmith
  4. ④Fire Box
  5. ⑤Second Apprentice Blacksmith
  1. ⑥Crank
  2. ⑦Great Time Cannon
  3. ⑧Tower of Fire
  4. ⑨Kettle Tank
  5. ⑩First Apprentice Blacksmith
  1. ⑪The Sun Window
  1. ①Observation Deck
  2. ②Right Hind Leg
  3. ③Right Foreleg
  4. ④Orb (Cuckoo Clock)
  5. ⑤Hour Hand & Minute Hand
  1. ⑥Silhouette of the Clockmaster
  2. ⑦Left Hind Leg
  3. ⑧Left Foreleg
  4. ⑨Orb (Sun Face)
  5. ⑩Rooftop Terrace

Hidden Details
of the Clock

  • The View

    From behind the Giant Clock, atop the Tower of Sound…, You can clearly see the Yurikamome Line gliding between Shimbashi and Toyosu—as well as the people below gazing up at the Clock.

  • gong
    Who Rings the Gong?

    The only instrument left in the Instrument Chamber is sounded by the tail of a skeletal fish.

  • The “S” Mark?!

    The letter “S” engraved on the stand between the Bell Family’s Father and Mother—is it the “S” of Shiodome, or... something else?

  • Whose key could this be?

    A key... here?!
    A key is stuck in the door behind the Great Time Cannon.
    Could it belong to the Clockmaster?

Giant Clock
Specifications

Height of the Clock
Approx.12m
Width of the Clock
Approx.18m
Length & Weight of the Minute Hand
Length: 2.5m
Weight: 24kg
Length & Weight of the Hour Hand
Length: 1.75m
Weight: 16kg
Diameter of the
Clock Face
4m
The Bell Family
Father & Mother
Height
Height: 135cm

The Bell Family — Elder Son Height

Height: 135cm
Master Blacksmith Height
Height: 135cm
First Apprentice
Blacksmith Height
Height: 135cm
Second Apprentice
Blacksmith Height
Height: 135cm
Size of the
Kettle Tank
Height: 1.3m
Width: 2m
Size of the
Great Time Cannon
Height: 2.5m
Diameter: 1.5m
Length of the Hind Legs
(Hip Joint to Ground)
Approx.3.6m
Length of the Forelegs
(Excluding Orbs and Claws)
Approx.2.2m
Orb Size
Diameter Approx. 1.1 m
Number of Moving Mechanisms:
32
Length of Musical Performance
2 minutes 50 seconds
Music Title
“Shiodome ni Maiorita”
[“The Clock That Descended Upon Shiodome”]

Access & Directions

direction
Access & Directions

Yurikamome Line

1-minute walk from Shimbashi Station (via deck)

Toei Oedo Line

1-minute walk from Shiodome Station (via underground walkway)

Toei Asakusa Line

2-minute walk from Shimbashi Station (via underground walkway)

JR Lines

3-minute walk from Shimbashi Station (via underground walkway)

JR Lines

3-minute walk from Shimbashi Station (via deck)

Ginza Line

3-minute walk from Shimbashi Station (via underground walkway)

© Studio Ghibli