Shopping & districts
Marunouchi
Marunouchi (丸の内) 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. Together with the neighbouring districts of Yūrakuchō (有楽町) and Ōtemachi (大手町), Marunouchi is part...
Marunouchi
Marunouchi is the office and business district between Tokyo Station's Marunouchi side and the Imperial Palace moat. It's headquarters territory for major Japanese and international companies, but the reason to walk through is the streetscape: broad tree-lined avenues, restored early-20th-century buildings mixed with modern towers, and ground-floor shopping arcades built into the office blocks. It reads as a more orderly, upscale counterpart to the crowds around Ginza, with department stores, boutiques, and restaurant floors tucked inside the corporate buildings.
Getting there
Marunouchi is served directly by the Marunouchi exit of Tokyo Station, so from most parts of central Tokyo it's simply however long it takes to reach Tokyo Station itself — usually 10-25 minutes by train from other central districts. The area is walkable straight out of the station.
How long to spend
An hour or two covers a stroll along Marunouchi Naka-dori and a look at a shopping building or two. Add more time if you plan to browse stores or eat at one of the restaurant floors.
When to go
Weekdays bring heavy foot traffic from office workers, especially at lunchtime, while evenings and weekends are quieter since much of the area is business-oriented. Illuminations along Naka-dori in winter draw larger crowds in the evening.
Combine it with
- Tokyo Imperial Palace (1.3km) — the palace grounds and East Gardens are an easy walk from Marunouchi.
- Nihonbashi (0.6km) and Artizon Museum (0.6km) — both within a short walk on the opposite side toward the river.
- Ginza (1.1km) — a natural continuation for further shopping.
Sources: open data from Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap · Updated August 5, 2026 · Edited by the World by City editors
