The red-brick station of 1914, designed by Kingo Tatsuno, lost its domes to wartime bombing and got them back in 2012, when the facade was restored to its original three-storey glory. Behind it lies one of the biggest stations in the world, with 3,000 trains a day, but the Marunouchi side is a calm plaza framed by the office towers of Mitsubishi’s business district and leading straight to the Imperial Palace.
Enter under the south dome, visit the small Tokyo Station Gallery in the brick walls, then walk out to the plaza. At night the facade is lit warm amber and the view down Gyoko-dori to the palace moat is one of Tokyo’s grandest.
Tips
- Look up inside the north and south domes, restored in 2012 with eagles and zodiac animals on the ceilings
- The best view of the whole facade is from the free terrace on the top of the KITTE building opposite
- Ramen Street and Character Street in the basement on the Yaesu side are worth a detour, especially for lunch before a train