Neighbourhood in Chiyoda
Marunouchi
丸の内
The business district between Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace, with the red-brick station, palace gardens and a tree-lined street of shops.
- places to see
- 10
- walk past the highlights
- 3.4 km
- Tokyo
- Chiyoda
Marunouchi lies between Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace, and is the core of Tokyo's central business district. In 1890 the land was bought by the Mitsubishi family, and much of it is still owned by the group, which explains the many Mitsubishi buildings and the restored red-brick office that now holds an art museum.
For visitors it is the gateway to the palace. Walk straight from the station's Marunouchi exit along Gyoko-dori to the outer garden and the view of Nijubashi bridge, then north to the free East Gardens on the old castle grounds. Naka-dori, the street of trees and shops between the towers, is lit up in winter. More of the ward is in our Chiyoda guide.
Don't miss in Marunouchi
Start with these, then wander the side streets.
1. Tokyo Station (Marunouchi Building)
東京駅The red-brick Marunouchi side of Tokyo Station, restored with its two domes. Look up inside the domed halls.
2. Kokyo Gaien National Garden
皇居外苑Lawns and pines in front of the Imperial Palace, with the classic view of Nijubashi.
3. Nijubashi Bridge
二重橋The palace bridge everyone photographs, seen across the moat from the outer garden.
4. Imperial Palace East Gardens
皇居東御苑Free gardens on Edo Castle's old inner grounds, with huge stone walls and the base of the keep.
5. Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum
三菱一号館美術館Art museum in a rebuilt 1894 red-brick office, with a garden courtyard of cafes.
6. Tokyo International Forum
東京国際フォーラムGlass hall shaped like a ship's hull, free to walk into, with food trucks at lunchtime.
Walk Marunouchi in order
The highlights as one easy walk, about 3.4 km in all.
Stop 1
Tokyo Station (Marunouchi Building)
Start here
Stop 2
Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum
7 min walk
Stop 3
Tokyo International Forum
3 min walk
Stop 4
Kokyo Gaien National Garden
13 min walk
Stop 5
Nijubashi Bridge
6 min walk
Stop 6
Imperial Palace East Gardens
16 min walk
More around Marunouchi
Other places within walking distance. Each shows its Japanese name for maps and taxis.
Tokyo Station Gallery
東京ステーションギャラリーA museum in Tokyo, Japan.
Artizon Museum
アーティゾン美術館Art museum in Kyobashi, between Tokyo Station and Ginza, with Impressionist and modern Japanese works.
Nihonbashi Bridge
日本橋Stone bridge from 1911 on a site bridged since 1603. In the Edo period it was the starting point of Japan's main highways.
Currency Museum
貨幣博物館Free museum of the Bank of Japan on the history of Japanese money, from old coins to modern notes.
Marunouchi on the map
Every place on this page. Tap a pin for directions.
Questions
Can you go inside the Imperial Palace?
The East Gardens are open to the public on most days, and the inner grounds can be visited on free guided tours booked in advance. The palace buildings themselves are closed.
Is the Tokyo Station building worth seeing?
Yes. The 1914 red-brick Marunouchi side was restored to its original look with two domes, and the domed halls are worth a look inside.
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.
More areas in Tokyo
- AkihabaraTokyo's Electric Town: the centre of anime, manga and game shopping, with electronics stores, arcades, maid cafes and the old Kanda Myojin shrine nearby.
- NihonbashiTokyo's old merchant quarter around the bridge where the Edo-period highways began, with Japan's first department store and long-running shops.
- GinzaTokyo's classic upmarket shopping district, with department stores, flagship boutiques, the Kabuki-za theatre and a main street that closes to cars at weekends.
- TsukijiHome of Tokyo's famous fish market until 2018. The wholesale market moved to Toyosu, but the Outer Market's food stalls and shops are still here.
- RyogokuThe home of professional sumo, with the national sumo arena, training stables and chanko nabe restaurants on the east bank of the Sumida River.
- KagurazakaA sloping street from Iidabashi with stone-paved back lanes from its geisha days, old shrines and Tokyo's biggest cluster of French bakeries and bistros.
- RoppongiCentral Tokyo district known for nightlife, embassies and the art museums of Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Midtown and the National Art Center.
- UenoTokyo's museum quarter around Ueno Park, with national museums, the zoo, temples, a lotus pond and the Ameyoko market street by the station.
