Tokyo Station
With its beautifully restored red brick façade, the impressive Tokyo Station Marunouchi building stands out from the crowd of glass and steel skyscrapers in Tokyo. It is the largest hub of Japan’s Shinkansen network, and is one of the largest terminal stations in Japan, with approximately 3,000 trains arriving and departing each day, and the largest number of platforms in Japan. The area around the station is dotted with some of Tokyo’s most popular tourist spots, such as Marunouchi, the financial district, and Nihonbashi, the center of Edo, as well as shopping and dining.
Tokyo Station Gallery
The Tokyo Station Gallery was established in 1988 in the Marunouchi Station Building of Tokyo Station with the aim of making the station more than just a transit point and providing a place of fragrant culture. The main pillars of the museum’s activities are “Rediscovery of Modern Art,” “Invitation to Contemporary Art,” and “Encounters with Railways, Architecture, and Design,” and exhibitions are held both in Japan and abroad on a wide range of themes from modern art to railroads, architecture, contemporary art, and design.
Places to see in Tokyo Station
There are several places to see at Tokyo Station, such as the platform pillars from when the station first opened, the zero-kilometer sign called the zero-kilometer post, which indicates the starting point of the Shinkansen, and the Silver Bell Plaza, which is known as a meeting place.
Shinkansen connecting major cities in Japan
It is no exaggeration to say that every traveler passes through Tokyo Station at least once. From Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the south, Tokyo Station connects all of Japan and is the largest hub of Japan’s Shinkansen network.
Kyoto, one of Japan’s most popular tourist destinations, can be reached in a little over two hours.
A maze of shopping streets
Tokyo Station has many shopping areas inside and outside the ticket gates. There are a variety of shopping areas inside the station, including GRANSTA, where you can find food, souvenirs, and fashion items; Ichibangai Tokyo Station Store, where you can find Tokyo Character Street; Yaesu Underground Mall, an underground shopping mall with 180 stores; and Daimaru Tokyo Store, one of the largest luxury department stores in the city.
The area around Tokyo Station is also home to the Marunouchi Building, Shin-Marunouchi Building, KITTE, and Marunouchi Brick Square, where you can enjoy intensive shopping.
A wide variety of ekiben
Ekiben-ya Matsuri, located in Tokyo Station, boasts one of the largest selections of ekiben in Japan. It offers more than 200 kinds of ekiben from all over Japan, including long-selling ekiben, limited-time ekiben, and live kitchens where freshly prepared ekiben are served. There are so many different kinds of ekiben to choose from that it’s hard to choose just one, so it’s best to go with plenty of time to spare.
