Marunouchi () is an area in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, located between Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace. The name, meaning "inside the circle", derives from its location within the palace's outer moat. Marunouchi is the core of Tokyo's central business district as well as one of the main financial centres in Japan. 20 of the Fortune Global 500 companies are headquartered in the area as of 2021, while many other such companies based outside Japan have Asian or Japanese offices there.Sanger, David E. "Daimler-Benz and Mitsubishi Negotiating Cooperative Plan," New York Times, 7 March 1990; retrieved 30 August 2011 Together with the neighbouring districts of Yūrakuchō (有楽町) and Ōtemachi (大手町), Marunouchi is part of a larger business district sometimes referred to as Daimaruyū (大丸有).

History

In 1590, before shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu entered Edo Castle, the area now known as Marunouchi was an inlet of Tokyo Bay 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"). Daimyōs, particularly shinpan 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, Marunouchi came under control of the national government, which erected barracks and parade grounds for the Imperial Japanese Army. In 1890 Iwasaki Yanosuke, brother of the founder (and later the second leader) of Mitsubishi, purchased the land for 1.5 million yen. 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 Co., 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 han in 1894. They moved it to the present Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku in 1991, and the Tokyo International Forum and Toyota Tsusho 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. Marunouchi was targeted in the 1974 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries bombing by the radical far-left terrorist organisation East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front. Tokyo Station reopened on 1 October 2012 after a 5 year refurbishment.Nakata, Hiroko, "Tokyo Station's Marunouchi side restored to 1914 glory ", Japan Times, 23 October 2012, p. 3

Landmarks

Extant historical buildings

Fully preserved Tokyo Station (1914) Meiji Insurance Headquarters (1934) Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum (1894, rebuilt partially using original materials in 2009)

Partially preserved (1933, preserved as the lower-storey structure of the JP Tower since 2012) Japan Industry Club (1920, preserved as the lower-storey structure of the Mitsubishi Trust&Banking Head Office since 2003)

Companies based in Marunouchi

Calbee has its headquarters in the Marunouchi Trust Tower Main."Corporate Information ." Calbee. Retrieved on 27 March 2010. Konica Minolta has its headquarters in the Marunouchi Center Building in Marunouchi."Company Overview ". Konica Minolta. Retrieved on 12 May 2009.

Mitsubishi Group companies: MUFG"About The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. " The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ. Retrieved on 7 December 2009. Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Mitsubishi Corporation"Fact Sheet ." Mitsubishi Corporation. Retrieved on 28 September 2011. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi Electric Nippon Yusen Tokio Marine Nichido"Corporate Profile ." Tokio Marine Nichido. Retrieved on 24 July 2011. "Address of Head Office 2-1 Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo" Asahi Glass"Company Profile ." Asahi Glass. Retrieved on 2 April 2014. Hitachi Furukawa Electric"Company Profile ." Furukawa Electric. Retrieved on 21 March 2014. Nikko Citigroup Ushio, Inc."Corporate Data ." Ushio, Inc. Retrieved on 31 May 2018. Tanaka Kikinzoku Group"Company Outline ." Tanaka Kikinzoku Group. Retrieved on 5 March 2019.

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

International companies

Marunouchi also houses the Japan offices of Aeroméxico (Pacific Century Place Marunouchi),"com03.jpg ". Aeroméxico. Retrieved on 13 October 2010. Bain & Company, Bayerische Landes Bank, Bloomberg, First National Bank of Boston, BT Group, Citigroup, Banca Commerciale Italiana, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Bank of India, JPMorgan Chase, KPMG, Latham & Watkins, Mellon Bank, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, Morrison & Foerster, NatWest Group, Nikko Cordial, Nikko Citigroup, Rabobank, Bank Negara Indonesia, Overseas Union Bank, Philadelphia National Bank, PwC, Ropes & Gray, Royal Insurance, Standard Chartered and Standard & Poor's."Office Locations Asia ". Standard & Poor's. Retrieved on 12 August 2011. "Japan 28 F Marunouchi Kitaguchi Bldg 1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, Japan 100-0005 "

Rail and subway stations Nijūbashimae Station (Chiyoda Line) Otemachi Station (Chiyoda Line, Hanzōmon Line, Marunouchi Line, Toei Mita Line, Tozai Line) Tokyo Station (Chūō Line, Keihin-Tohoku Line, Keiyo Line, Marunouchi Line, Shinkansen, Sōbu Line, Yamanote Line, 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. 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