Sogakudo of the Former Tokyo Music School was established as Japan's first concert hall in 1890, at the dawn of modernization in Japan. The hall, however, became so old and deteriorated with the lapse of time. Although there were opinions suggesting that it should be demolished or relocated to the Meiji village museum in Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture, the hall was rebuilt in Ueno Park because there was a movement to preserve it in Ueno which is the birthplace of Japan's modern music. The hall's exterior and interior reflect its long history.

The hall is located in a quiet neighborhood adjacent to the Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo Metro-politan Art Museum and Tokyo University of the Arts in Ueno Park. The wooden building has a taste of Meiji Period, evoking a sense of nostalgia as well as the Meiji spirit.