Tokyo · Marunouchi / ChiyodaNo.182★★★Open in map →
Tokyo Station
The Marunouchi building of Tokyo Station — a red-brick, 335-metre façade with two octagonal domed towers — is the country's busiest railway station and a National Important Cultural Property. The current façade reproduces the 1914 original, restored in 2012 after wartime destruction removed the upper storeys.
Tokyo Station's Marunouchi building stretches 335 metres along the western side of the tracks, facing the broad Marunouchi boulevard toward the Imperial Palace. Its red-brick walls and the two large octagonal domes at the north and south ends are the defining feature of the station exterior. The building was completed in 1914 to a design by architect Tatsuno Kingo, who drew on Dutch Renaissance and English Baroque influences common in Meiji-period public buildings. In 1945 air raids burned out the upper floors and destroyed the original domes; the station was rebuilt with truncated rooflines and operated that way for over sixty years. The 2012 restoration rebuilt the full third storey and the two domes to match Tatsuno's original drawings, restoring the façade to its 1914 appearance. The building is designated a National Important Cultural Property. Inside, the station houses the Tokyo Station Hotel (occupying the north and south wings of the Marunouchi building), the KITTE shopping complex in the adjacent former central post office, and the Tokyo Station Gallery on the second floor of the north dome wing.
Background & history
Construction began in 1908 and the station opened on 20 December 1914 — making it over a century old. Tatsuno Kingo, who also designed the Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo, was chosen as architect. The station served as the symbolic terminus of the national rail network under the Meiji government's rail-building programme. During the second world war, American bombing raids in 1945 destroyed the dome roofs and the third storey. The station reopened for service quickly after the war, but the restoration of the original exterior took until 2012, funded by a scheme in which development rights above the protected building were sold to neighbouring high-rise developers.
What to look for — in walking order
- Marunouchi Central Exit and plaza
- the main west exit, with the full 335-metre red-brick façade directly in front; the plaza gives space to step back and take in the whole building
- North dome (Marunouchi North Exit)
- the larger of the two octagonal towers; the interior ceiling mosaic of the zodiac was restored in 2012
- South dome (Marunouchi South Exit)
- the south tower, with a similar restored ceiling; the Tokyo Station Gallery occupies the second floor of the north wing
- KITTE building
- the former Tokyo Central Post Office, directly adjacent to the station's south side; the atrium looks across at the station façade from an unusual angle, and the rooftop garden offers a free elevated view
How to enjoy it
Exit at the Marunouchi Central gate and walk back across the plaza to see the full façade — the red brick is most photogenic in the low light of early morning or late afternoon. The KITTE building's rooftop garden is free and open until 23:00 (earlier on Sundays and some holidays), giving an elevated view across the red-brick roof that is not possible from street level. The Tokyo Station Gallery (inside the north dome) shows changing exhibitions in a restored space and is worth checking if a relevant show is on.
How to actually get there
- At Tokyo Station, follow signs to the Marunouchi Central Exit on the west side of the building.
- Cross the Marunouchi plaza to see the full 335-metre red-brick façade with both domes.
- For an elevated view, take the stairs or lifts in the adjacent KITTE building to the free rooftop garden (open until 23:00).
- You are at Tokyo Station
- Tokyo Station is itself the destination. Exit via the Marunouchi Central Exit (or Marunouchi North or South Exit) on the west side to reach the main red-brick façade. The JR turnstiles are on the west (Marunouchi) and east (Yaesu) sides of the building. Most Shinkansen and JR long-distance services use Tokyo Station as a terminus or through-stop; all Tokyo Metro and JR local lines within the city also serve it.
- Any line from Tokyo Station
- Tokyo Station is served by almost every major JR line and the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (underground, directly below the station), making connections to any part of the city straightforward. Shinkansen to Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Sendai, and Sapporo depart from the eastern Shinkansen platforms. IC cards (Suica, PASMO) work on all lines.
Before you go
- Cash
- Viewing the façade from the plaza is free. The KITTE rooftop garden is free. The Tokyo Station Gallery charges a separate admission for exhibitions (confirm at ejrcf.or.jp/gallery). The Tokyo Station Hotel is a premium hotel in the restored north and south wings. IC cards (rechargeable transit cards) are accepted on all trains.
- Closing days
- The station itself operates around the clock. The KITTE rooftop garden is open daily until 23:00 (closes at 21:00 on Sundays and public holidays; confirm at jptower-kitte.jp). The Tokyo Station Gallery hours vary by exhibition.
- Another way
- The Marunouchi Underground Exit connects directly to the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line platform (underground concourse, no surface crossing needed). From the east side (Yaesu Exit), the Yaesu side of the station has a very different architectural character — a postwar building facing the commercial Yaesu district.
- After you get off
- Marunouchi Central Exit: from the JR ticket gates, follow signs for 'Marunouchi Central Exit' (丸の内中央口). The exit opens onto the Marunouchi plaza; the full façade is directly in front. The KITTE building is immediately to the south of the Central Exit.