About

Tokyo Station Marunouchi Honya (Main Building) is a red brick building, designated as an Important Cultural Property.

Tokyo Station, the largest train terminal station in Japan, is known as the gateway to the capital city. Known as the biggest number of train lines in JR East, there are 22 JR train lines and the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi line for a total of 23 lines.

Tokyo Station opened in 1914 (Taisho 3) in response to the planned construction of an elevated railway connecting Shiｍbashi and Ueno. Leading Japanese architect TATSUNO Kingo, who was known for designing the Bank of Japan’s head office building, took charge of the station’s design. Marunouchi Gate side which made of red brick is officially known as the Tokyo Station Marunouchi Honya (Main Building), which was designated as a National Important Cultural Property in 2003.

The iconic symbol of the Marunouchi Station Building is its octagonal North and South dome with its eight stately eagles sculptures (diameter 2.1 meters), in the eight corners of the walls depict zodiac animals according the directions they traditionally represent.