is a business district of

Chiyoda, Tokyo , known as Chiyoda City in English,
." ''City of Chiyoda''. Retrieved on December 28, 2008. is a S ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, situated in between the

Ginza Ginza ( ; ) is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, Tokyo, Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi. It is a popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo ...

and

Hibiya Park Hibiya Park (, ) is a park in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It covers an area of 161,636.66 m2 (40 acres) between the east gardens of the Kōkyo, Imperial Palace to the north, the Shinbashi district to the southeast and the Kasumigaseki government distri ...

, southeast of the

Tokyo Imperial Palace is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings including the where the Emperor h ...

. The district takes its name from Oda Nagamasu (1547–1622), who was also known as Yūraku (有楽). Oda Nagamasu built his mansion here on land granted by

Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...

near the Sukiya-bashi Gate of

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 th ...

. The place name dates from the

Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

. Yūrakuchō is served by several train and subway stations, including Hibiya Station (

Toei Subway The is one of two subway systems in Tokyo, Japan, the other being the Tokyo Metro. The Toei Subway lines were originally licensed to the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (the predecessor of Tokyo Metro) but were constructed by the Tokyo Metropolita ...

and Tokyo Metro lines) and Yūrakuchō Station (

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in ...

and

Tokyo Metro The Tokyo Metro () is a major rapid transit system in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the #Organization, Tokyo Metro Co. With an average daily ridership of 6.52 million passengers (as of 2023), the Tokyo Metro is the larger of the Tokyo subway, two s ...

lines). Unlike its tonier neighbor Ginza, Yūrakuchō provides a glimpse of Japanese life from the early postwar period, with its many '' izakaya'' (Japanese-style bars, denoted by their red lanterns known as '' akachochin'') and outdoor '' yakitori'' restaurants, many of which are located near or under the train tracks serving Tokyo's JR

Yamanote Line The Yamanote Line () is a railway Circle route, 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 centres ...

. Because of its easy access to

Tokyo Station Tōkyō Station (, ) is a major railway station in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The original station is located in Chiyoda's Marunouchi business district near the Tokyo Imperial Palace, Imperial Palace grounds. The newer Eastern extension is not far ...

, Yūrakuchō bars and restaurants are popular among businessmen on their way home from work. The administrative Yūrakuchō district also covers the Hibiya area.

History

In 1707, the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

established the Minami-machi Bugyō-sho, the office of one of the magistrates of Edo, in this area. The place name dates from the

. It arises from an altered pronunciation of ''Urakusai''.

Landmarks

One of the landmarks in Yūrakuchō is the

DN Tower 21 DN Tower 21"D" stands for Dai-ichi Life, Dai-ichi Life and "N" stands for the Norinchukin Bank, Norinchukin Bank is an office building in Tokyo, Japan. It includes the former Dai-ichi Life, Dai-Ichi Seimei Building, in which Douglas MacArthur ha ...

. Home of The Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance Company, the building, across the moat from the Imperial Palace, was the headquarters of Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers under

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...

during the

Occupation of Japan Japan was occupied and administered by the Allies of World War II from the surrender of the Empire of Japan on September 2, 1945, at the war's end until the Treaty of San Francisco took effect on April 28, 1952. The occupation, led by the ...

. Norinchukin Bank shares the facility. The Yūrakuchō Center Building (Yūrakuchō Mullion) complex, featuring retail, 7 movie theaters, convention halls, and parking, is also located here. The district has many theatres and cinemas, among them the

Tokyo International Forum The is a multi-purpose exhibition center in Tokyo, 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. Toky ...

, Toho Imperial Theater, Nissei Theater, Marunouchi Tōei, Chanter, Tokyo Takarazuka Theater, Scala-za and Miyuki-za. The Hibiya Mitsui houses the home offices of the

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation is a Japanese multinational banking financial services institution owned by the Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, which is also known as the SMBC Group. It is headquartered in the same building as SMBC Group in Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. ...

, Japan Steel Works, and

Asahi Kasei is a multinational Japanese chemical company. Its main products are chemicals and materials. It was founded in May 1931, using the paid-in capital of Nobeoka Ammonia Fiber Co., Ltd, a Nobeoka, Miyazaki-based producer of ammonia, nitric acid ...

, while the Shin Yūrakuchō Building is home to Asahi Glass Co., Nippon Paper Industries, and Nichiro Corporation. Toyota Tsusho and

Toho is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...

have their headquarters in the district, and the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) has both its headquarters and a Tourist Information Center in Yūrakuchō. The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan has its facilities in the Yūrakuchō Denki North Building. Nippon Broadcasting System (JOLF-AM) broadcasts live from Yūrakuchō since its first broadcast.

Fuji Television JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as or , is a Japanese television station that serves the Kantō region as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network System (FNS). The station is owned-and- ...

(JOCX-TV) formerly shared facilities with JOLF.

Economy

's headquarters, the , are in Yūrakuchō,

Chiyoda, Tokyo , known as Chiyoda City in English,
." ''City of Chiyoda''. Retrieved on December 28, 2008. is a S ...

. The company moved into its current headquarters in April 2005.

Japan Airlines Japan Airlines (JAL) is the flag carrier airline of Japan. JAL is headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport, Narita and Haneda Airport, Haneda airports, as well as secondary hubs in Osaka's Kansai ...

operates a domestic and international flights ticketing office on the first floor of the Yurakucho Denki Building in Yūrakuchō. At one time Japan Asia Airways had its headquarters in the Yurakucho Denki Building,"World Airline Directory." ''Flight International''. March 30, 1985
88
" Retrieved on June 17, 2009. and Galaxy Airlines had its headquarters in the district.

Transportation

* Hibiya Station ** Toei Mita Line ** Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line **

Tokyo Metro 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).Yūrakuchō Station **

** JR East Keihin-Tōhoku Line ** Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line Hibiya and Yurakucho stations are connected by underground passageways.

Education

Chiyoda Board of Education operates public elementary and junior high schools. Chiyoda Elementary School (千代田小学校) is the zoned elementary school for Yūrakuchō 1-2 chōme. 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