Established in 1890, it is the oldest western-style concert hall in Japan. Formerly the hall belonged to the Tokyo Music School, now the Tokyo University of the Arts. By 1972, it had become too old for school use, so Taitō Ward obtained the property, now designated an Important Cultural Property.[1][2][3] The hall was rebuilt in Ueno Park, and nearby stands the statue of Rentarō Taki, one of its alumni.