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Tokyo Station Marunouchi Building Night view1 201912

Marunouchi () is a commercial district of

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

located in Chiyoda between Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace. The name, meaning "inside the circle", derives from its location within the palace's outer moat. It is also Tokyo's financial district and the country's three largest

bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...

s are headquartered there.

History

In 1590, before

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow ...

entered

Edo Castle is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan in Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. In modern times it is part of the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Tokyo and is therefore also known as . Tokugawa Ieyasu established the ...

, the area now known as Marunouchi was an inlet of

Edo Bay is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan, and spans the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. The Tokyo Bay region is both the most populous ...

and had the name ''Hibiya.'' With the expansion of the castle, this inlet was filled, beginning in 1592. A new outer moat was constructed, and the earlier moat became the inner moat. The area took the name ''Okuruwauchi'' ("within the enclosure"). ''

Daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...

s'', particularly ''

shinpan was a class of ''daimyō'' in the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan who were certain relatives of the ''Shōgun''. While all ''shinpan'' were relatives of the ''shōgun'', not all relatives of the shōgun were ''shinpan''; an example of this is the ...

'' and '' fudai'', constructed their mansions here, and with 24 such estates, the area also became known as ''daimyō kōji'' ("daimyō alley"). The offices of the North and South Magistrates, and that of the Finance Magistrate, were also here. Following the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

, Marunouchi came under control of the national government, which erected barracks and parade grounds for the

army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

. Those moved in 1890, and

Iwasaki Yanosuke was a Japanese banker, businessman, investor, and politician. He served as the 4th Governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ). He was created a Baron in 1900; and he was a member of Japan's House of Peers. Notes References * Weston, Mark. (1999). ...

, brother of the founder (and later the second leader) of

Mitsubishi The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries. Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...

, purchased the land for 1.5 million

yen The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar (US$) and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the US dollar and the e ...

. As the company developed the land, it came to be known as ''Mitsubishi-ga-hara'' (the "Mitsubishi Fields"). Much of the land remains under the control of Mitsubishi Estate, and the headquarters of many companies in the Mitsubishi Group are in Marunouchi. The government of Tokyo constructed its headquarters on the site of the former

Kōchi Kochi is a city in Kerala, India. Kochi or Kōchi may also refer to: People * Kochi people, a predominantly Pashtun nomadic people of Afghanistan * , a Japanese surname: ** Arata Kochi (born 1948 or 1949), Japanese physician and World Health Org ...

han Han may refer to: Ethnic groups * Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group. ** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...

in 1894. They moved it to the present

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building The , also referred to as the for short, is the seat of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which governs the special wards, cities, towns, and villages that constitute the Tokyo Metropolis. Located in Shinjuku ward, the building was designed b ...

Shinjuku is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration ...

in 1991, and the new

Tokyo International Forum The is a multi-purpose exhibition center in Tokyo, Japan. The complex is generally considered to be in the Yūrakuchō business district, being adjacent to Yūrakuchō Station, but it is administratively in the Marunouchi district. Tokyo Int ...

and

Toyota Tsusho is a sōgō shōsha (trading company), a member of the Toyota Group. Toyota Tsusho has a worldwide presence through its many subsidiaries and operating divisions, including over 150 offices, and 900 subsidiaries and affiliates around the world. ...

Corporation now stands on the site. Nearly a quarter of Japan's GDP is generated in this area. Tokyo Station opened in 1914, and the Marunouchi Building in 1923. Tokyo Station reopened on 1 October 2012 after a 5 year refurbishment. Much of the area was damaged in the deadly

1974 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries bombing The 1974 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries bombing ( ja, 三菱重工爆破事件) was a terrorist bombing of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries headquarters in Tokyo, Japan on 30 August 1974, killing eight people and injuring 376 others. The bombing was ...

Places in Marunouchi

* Marunouchi Oazo *

Marunouchi Building The is a skyscraper located in Marunouchi, Tokyo, Japan. Construction of the 180-metre, 37-story skyscraper was finished in 2002. Tenants * 1st basement: retail stores, cafes, restaurants, printing & copying store and banks (ATMs) * 1st floor ...

Shin-Marunouchi Building The , or ''New Inner Circle Building'', is one of the highest buildings in Chiyoda ward in Tokyo. The building was completed on April 19, 2007, and opened to the public on April 27, 2007. It is often called "Shin Maru Biru" for short. Overview ...

Tokyo Central Post Office Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

(closed) *

* Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo * Tokyo Station, the city's main intercity rail terminal *

Meiji Seimei Kan ''Meiji Seimei Kan'' (明治生命館) is a building in Marunouchi, Tokyo, Japan. History It was designed by Shinichiro Okada and completed in March 1934. The building was one of the first of its kind to be completely designed by Japanese ...

Tallest Buildings 130m+

Companies based in Marunouchi

Calbee has its headquarters in the Marunouchi Trust Tower Main. Konica Minolta has its headquarters in the Marunouchi Center Building in Marunouchi. *

Mitsubishi Group The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries. Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...

companies: **

The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ is the largest bank in Japan. It was established on January 1, 2006, following the merger of the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Ltd. and UFJ Bank Ltd. MUFG is one of the three so-called Japanese "megabanks" (along with SMBC and Mizuho). As such, ...

Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance is a Japanese life insurance company, headquartered in Tokyo and created in 2004 from the merger of Meiji Life and Yasuda Life. The company is one of the oldest and largest insurers in Japan. The Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company is a membe ...

** Mitsubishi Corporation **

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a Japanese multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the predecessor of Mitsubishi Mo ...

Mitsubishi Electric , established on 15 January 1921, is a Japanese multinational electronics and electrical equipment manufacturing company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi. The products from MELCO include elevators an ...

** Nippon Yusen ** Tokio Marine Nichido *

Asahi Glass , formerly Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.'(旭硝子株式会社), is a Japanese global glass manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. It is the largest glass company in the world and one of the core Mitsubishi companies. The company is listed on t ...

Hitachi () is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...

* Furukawa Electric *

Nikko Citigroup is a financial services firm in Japan. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Citigroup Japan Holdings Corp., the main Japanese holding company of American financial firm Citigroup. Nikko Cordial and Citigroup first established a joint venture in J ...

Ushio, Inc. is a Japanese company headquartered in Tokyo. It was established in 1964, and its main business is in lighting equipment. History Ushio, Inc., was established in 1964 from the electric lighting department of Ushio Industrial, Inc., which had gr ...

* Tanaka Kikinzoku Group Marunouchi also houses the Japan offices of Aeroméxico (

Pacific Century Place Marunouchi is a skyscraper in Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo. The Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi is within the building. The building also houses Aeroméxico's Japan offices. The building was developed following a tender of the underlying land by Jap ...

Bain & Company Bain & Company is an American management consulting company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The firm provides advice to public, private, and non-profit organizations. One of the Big Three management consultancies, Bain & Company was fou ...

, Bayerische Landes Bank, Bloomberg, First National Bank of Boston, BT Group,

Citigroup Citigroup Inc. or Citi (Style (visual arts), stylized as citi) is an American multinational investment banking, investment bank and financial services corporation headquartered in New York City. The company was formed by the merger of banking ...

Banca Commerciale Italiana Banca Commerciale Italiana (COMIT), founded in 1894, was once one of the largest banks in Italy. In 1999 it merged with a banking group consisting of Cassa di Risparmio delle Provincie Lombarde (aka Cariplo; est. 1823) and Banco Ambroveneto, wh ...

, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Bank of India,

JPMorgan Chase JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered in New York City and incorporated in Delaware. As of 2022, JPMorgan Chase is the largest bank in the United States, the ...

KPMG KPMG International Limited (or simply KPMG) is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations. Headquartered in Amstelveen, Netherlands, although incorporated in London, England, KPMG is a net ...

, Latham & Watkins,

Mellon Bank Mellon Financial Corporation was an investment firm which was once one of the world's largest money management firms. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it was in the business of institutional and high-net-worth individual asset management, inc ...

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP is an American multinational law firm with approximately 2,200 legal professionals in 31 offices across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Mergers with other law firms stimulated global growth and led to ...

Morrison & Foerster Morrison & Foerster LLP (also known as MoFo) is an American multinational law firm headquartered in San Francisco, California, with 17 offices located throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe. The firm has over 1,000 lawyers who advise cli ...

, NatWest Group,

Nikko Cordial Nikko Cordial Corporation was the holding company for Nikko Cordial Securities, Japan's third largest brokerage until 2008, when Nikko Cordial Corporation became a wholly owned subsidiary of Citigroup; upon completion of share exchange, it merge ...

, Rabobank,

Bank Negara Indonesia Bank Negara Indonesia ( 'State Bank of Indonesia'), is an Indonesian state-owned bank. It has branches primarily in Indonesia, but it can also found in Seoul, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, London and New York. It had 1000 branches and over 9 milli ...

Overseas Union Bank United Overseas Bank Limited (), often known as UOB, is a Singaporean multinational banking corporation headquartered in Singapore, with branches mostly found in most Southeast Asian countries. Founded in 1935 as United Chinese Bank (UCB) by S ...

, Philadelphia National Bank,

PricewaterhouseCoopers PricewaterhouseCoopers is an international professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounting ...

, Ropes & Gray,

Royal Insurance Royal Insurance Holdings plc was a large insurance business originating in Liverpool but based in London from the early 20th century. It merged with Sun Alliance in 1996 to form the Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Group. History Formation and e ...

Standard Chartered Bank Standard Chartered plc is a multinational bank with operations in consumer, corporate and institutional banking, and treasury services. Despite being headquartered in the United Kingdom, it does not conduct retail banking in the UK, and around ...

and

Standard & Poor's S&P Global Ratings (previously Standard & Poor's and informally known as S&P) is an American credit rating agency (CRA) and a division of S&P Global that publishes financial research and analysis on stocks, bonds, and commodities. S&P is con ...

. Japan Airlines used to have its headquarters in the Tokyo Building in Marunouchi."World Airline Directory". ''Flight International''. March 30, 1985
88
Retrieved on June 17, 2009.

Rail and subway stations

* Nijūbashimae Station (

Chiyoda Line The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro in Tokyo, Japan. On average, the line carries 1,447,730 passengers daily (2017), the second highest of the Tokyo Metro network, behind the Tozai Line (1,642,378).Hanzomon Line, Marunouchi Line, Toei Mita Line, Tozai Line) * Tokyo Station ( Chūō Line, Keihin-Tohoku Line, Keiyo Line, Marunouchi Line, Shinkansen, Sōbu Line,

Yamanote Line The Yamanote Line ( ja, 山手線, Yamanote-sen) is a loop service in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important lines, connecting most of Tokyo's major stations and urban ...

, Yokosuka Line)

Education

operates public elementary and junior high schools. Chiyoda Elementary School (千代田小学校) is the zoned elementary of Marunouchi 1-3

chōme The Japanese addressing system is used to identify a specific location in Japan. When written in Japanese characters, addresses start with the largest geographical entity and proceed to the most specific one. When written in Latin characters, ad ...

. There is a freedom of choice system for junior high schools in Chiyoda Ward, and so there are no specific junior high school zones.

References

External links

* {{coord missing, Tokyo Chiyoda, Tokyo Neighborhoods of Tokyo