Exploring the Labyrinth that is Tokyo Station

Tokyo Station is the center of Japan's railway network.

At JR Tokyo Station, there are 28 tracks where people can ride the trains.

It's both a commuter and long-distance travel hub, connecting major cities throughout Japan with more than 4,500 trains arriving and departing each day.

Tokyo Station averages around 650,000 passengers per day.

Tokyo Station is the beginning station for Japan's railroads.

Each platform has a "Kilometer Zero" indicating the line's starting point.

On October 1, 1964, the Tokaido Shinkansen, the world's first high-speed railway, opened connecting Tokyo and Shin-Osaka Stations.

A monument commemorating the opening of the shinkansen stands on the platform.

In this way, Japan's railway network spreads throughout the country, with Tokyo Station at its heart.

The impressive brick building on the west side of Tokyo Station is the Marunouchi Station Building.

The 108 year old station building is an important cultural property of Japan.

In today's program, we take a look at the ever-evolving Tokyo Station, the vast hub that has a long history of being the gateway to Tokyo.

We are in front of Tokyo Station and behind us is the iconic Marunouchi Station Building.

And it's so long, it's kind of hard to capture all of it with your smartphone.

Certainly.

You know, the original design of this Marunouchi Station Building was actually a Japanese style one but 100 years ago the ambition of the Japan as a country was to join the league of the leading western super powers

so the government in those days wanted something western, and the final design was this magnificent western style red brick building.

Magnificent indeed but to be honest the first time I came here, I got very lost and I needed help to go around the station.

It is a bit complicated.

Yes certainly, but this certainly is a big station, there are many platforms, some overground, some underground in many different locations,

but once you get used to it, it's not too difficult to get around.

And how to do that, we'll be given to you later in the episode.

I might need that.

Now, let's have a look at the history of Tokyo's hub and heart of railway network.

Tokyo Station and the Marunouchi Station Building.

In 1872, the first railway in Japan opened between Shimbashi and Yokohama Stations.

From there, Japan's railway network rapidly expanded.

Tokyo Station was built 42 years later, in 1914.

Until then, terminal stations that connected Tokyo to outlying areas were scattered throughout the city.

Tokyo station was built to consolidate all of the different terminals.

The three-story, western-style Marunouchi Station Building consists of a steel frame and red brick walls.

At 335m wide, it was the largest station building in Japan when it was built.

When it opened, the first floor was used solely for station facilities.

The northern half of the second and third floors was home to railway offices.

The southern half was a hotel.

The Marunouchi Station Building's designer, Tatsuno Kingo, was one of Japan's first modern architects.

He designed more than 200 buildings including the Bank of Japan's head office, many of which are now designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan.

In 1929, 15 years after it opened, the Yaesu Exit was established on the station's east side.

The current Yaesu Station Building is a modern structure that connects skyscrapers on either side.

It features a large roof, pedestrian decks, and a variety of stores.

Together, the Marunouchi Station and the Yaesu Station Buildings serve as the gateway to Tokyo.

In its 108 years, Tokyo Station has seen its fair share of incidents and disasters.

In 1921, at the Marunouchi South Dome gate, Prime Minister Hara Takashi was stabbed by a man who objected to his politics.

To this day, you can find a marker and a plaque explaining the incident on the site.

Then in 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake struck.

While some of the platforms were damaged, the brick station building remained intact.

In 1930, Prime Minister Hamaguchi Osachi was shot by a right-wing activists on his way to the train.

Hamaguchi survived but passed away the following year.

Then, in 1945, toward the end of World War II, Tokyo Station was severely damaged in an air raid.

The wooden structure and interior of the station building were destroyed by fire, leaving only the red brick walls.

After the war, the Marunouchi Station Building was rebuilt.

However, instead of rebuilding the third floor, a two-story structure was restored, and the roof's round domes became octagonal.

In 2003, the Marunouchi Station Building was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.

In 2007, restoration of the station building began.

Completed in 2012, the new building was restored as close as possible to its original design, using old records and what was left of the original building.

The brick walls of the original station building are preserved by the Marunouchi South Exit ticket gate.

At the platform is the building's original pillars are also preserved for future generations to enjoy.

There's certainly a lot to find out about Tokyo Station.

And acutually, we have our own Tokyo Station Marunouchi Station Building right here.

It's a 1 to 350 scale model and if you remember at the start of the program, we're right at the front in the front square and the back of it, that's where the trains are running right?

Yes that's right.

You can see that the station building is a large one but out of this building, the space reserved for people working for the station is actually very limited.

Now this building is designed to accommodate the hotel from the start and currently, near the northern end where the dome is,

that part is actually now accommodating station museum so there is the conversion now, but for the rest of the building, the second and third floor accommodates the station hotel and they are still in operation.

There's one thing I'm curious about.

The center entrance over here.

I have never seen it open. Is there a reason for that?

Oh that's simple.

Because that entrance is exclusive to the Imperial family and their guest.

That's why I have never seen it open.

Alright, let's find out more about the hotel, the museum and the imperial entrance of Tokyo Station.

The Tokyo Station Hotel opened in 1915, just one year after Tokyo Station, on the south side of the Marunouchi Station Building.

It was a European-style hotel with banquet rooms, restaurants, and bars.

With Japan's rapid modernization, the number of foreign visitors increased, creating an urgent need for accommodation in Tokyo.

In response to this need, the western-style hotel was built inside Tokyo Station.

In 2012, the missing third floor was restored.

It's now home to 150 guest rooms.

One of the rooms, facing the dome, offers a unique view of people passing by.

This maisonette-type suite offers a view of the trains arriving at and departing Tokyo Station.

This one-of-a-kind experience is only available to guests of the Station Hotel.

In addition, to make effective use of the space, this previously unused attic in the center of the fourth floor was turned into a breakfast lounge

for the exclusive use of hotel guests during the restoration.

Here, remnants of the old red-brick wall and steel framework have been preserved, allowing visitors a look back in time.

The north dome of the Marunouchi Station Building serves as the entrance to the Tokyo Station Gallery.

There's been a small gallery on the second floor above the Marunouchi Central Exit since 1988, however, during the restoration, it became a fully-fledged art museum.

The museum was built with the idea of making the station, not just a transportation hub, but a cultural hub as well.

The entrance is on the first floor, while the exhibits can be found on the second and third floors.

The bricks you can see here are structural.

They are actually part of
the station's structure.

The exposed structure stretches all
the way up to the second floor so that our visitors get a good
look at the original brickwork.

In this exhibition space, where the bricks have been kept intact, an exhibit is currently being held to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the railroad.

The steel frame of the staircase part of the old railway office from when the building first opened can be seen preserved in the museum shop.

This gallery is not just an art museum.

It's a place where visitors can experience the history of Tokyo Station.

Tokyo Station, which was built as the gateway to Tokyo, also serves as the Emperor's Station.

The central entrance to the Marunouchi Station Building is a straight shot east from the Imperial Palace.

At the entrance, there is a carriage porch with a balcony above.

When the Emperor and members of the Imperial Family travel to other prefectures by rail, they are chauffeured to the gateway, where they enter the station and board the train.

When visiting dignitaries come to present their credentials to the emperor, they are sometimes driven to the Imperial Palace in a horse-drawn carriage.

And inside the station building, there is a "imperial guest room" like this one.

Tokyo Station's history is truly a symbol of Tokyo and its history.

So Tokyo Station is not just a station anymore for boarding trains, now we have hotels, museums, shopping, and restaurants.

There are so many things to do and sometimes it's a little bit hard to find your way around that building.

Yes I think so.

You know, Tokyo Station has now become a town by itself, I think.

It should be really difficult to find your way around.

And this is the map inside Tokyo Station and looking at this, what do you think?

In Europe, I'm used to terminal stations.

The big cities have terminal stations so the trains go there and stop.

While Tokyo Station is a through station so people board the trains which I find somewhat surprising.

I see... yes, you're right.

Tokyo Station is through station and that is a very important feature of the station.

It is a big station and people I think easily get confused but looking at the simplified I think people can find their way around much easier.

You know, on the bottom of the diagram is the Marunouchi Station Building and on the top of this diagram is the Yaesu Exit which is towards the opposite end of the railway tracks.

- So that would be about here?
- Yes, that's right.

Between the Marunouchi and Yaesu Exits, there are a number of overground network operated by JR in the Tokyo Station and from the place closer to Marunouchi Exit, there are a number of urban transit lines, urban transit platforms,

and then the long-distance platforms and the shinkansen to the north and the shinkansen towards the west and the Yaesu Exit.

And there are two groups of additional underground platforms in two places and this is the JR Tokyo Station and close to the Marunouchi Exit is one subway Tokyo Station so this is actually the entire Tokyo Station.

I feel like the further we get away from Marunouchi Station Building towards Yaesu, the further more away you get away from Tokyo since this is where the shinkansen is running right?

Yes, that's right.

Okay! Next time I'll be able to navigate much faster but let's take a deeper look at Tokyo Station.

There are three ticket gates on the first floor of the Marunouchi Station Building.

From left to right, they are North, Central, and South.

This is the North Exit ticket gate.

Once inside, you'll find the platforms arrayed down the concourse.

Each line is divided by a color and a number, making them easy to identify.

The concourse is on the first floor so you'll need to take the stairs, escalators, or the elevators to get to the platforms above.

The platforms lower down are for short-range trains, such as the Yamanote Line.

Mid-range trains are a little higher up.

Long-range trains such as the Shinkansen are slightly higher still.

The platform closest to the Marunouchi Station Building is even higher.

From here, rapid and express trains on the Chuo Line head to the west side of Tokyo.

Tokyo Station also has underground platforms.

Located in the basement of the Marunouchi Station Building is a platform that serves rapid trains connecting Kanagawa and Chiba Prefectures.

Built in 1972, this platform eased the congestion that previously existed in the station above.

Now, it's also used for the Narita Express, which connects Tokyo and Narita Airport.

In 1990, the underground platform for the Keiyo Line was built to intersect with the station building.

Many people use this line to visit the popular theme parks, stadium, and exhibition centers in Chiba Prefecture.

To get to this station, simply follow the signs posted on the pillars and floor of the concourse.

Since it is a little far away, moving walkways like this one have been installed.

Information boards listing the different lines and platforms can be found all around Tokyo Station.

Still, the vast station can be overwhelming at first, and some things may be difficult to understand or confusing, especially for visitors from overseas.

It is a bit of a challenge as an English guy to come in to this transportation network because it is so much bigger and more complex than London.

JR East has set up travel service centers at different points around the station.

To access the Narita Express platform, it takes about 10 minutes because Narita Express platform located downstairs.

We've been here before around six, seven, eight years ago.

So it changes a lot so we just need more information.

All the staff here are very friendly, they are very helpful giving information we really really like it.

Numerous stores, including those specializing in "ekiben," boxed meals, can also be found inside the ticket gates.

Opening in 2020, this is the largest commercial facility managed by JR East.

Some souvenir shops sell products that can only be bought at Tokyo Station.

There are long lines at these shops every day.

This sushi restaurant serves fresh fish, caught that morning and delivered by shinkansen.

This restaurant's nostalgic menu offers meals that used to be served in dining cars.

The restaurant's atmosphere also resembles the dining car of a train.

Here, you can enjoy "hashed beef with rice," once popular in the dining cars of sleeper express trains.

While it's not a sleeper train, we hope visitors
get a taste of what it's like onboard.

In August 2020, an event space was created on the first basement floor.

Various events are held here in Tokyo Station's first-ever atrium space.

Exiting the underground ticket gate on the Yaesu side of the station, you will also find many commercial facilities.

This 400-meter-long shopping street is located on the first basement floor of the Yaesu Station building.

Known as "Ramen Street," this corridor is lined with popular ramen shops.

While "Character Street" is lined with stores selling character goods from popular anime and manga.

This store specializes in goods related to Kabuki, traditional Japanese theatre.

Artisans demonstrate and sell "handmade" products.

We came especially for Character Street because we heard about the anime store here.

We kind of thought to take a look.

So clean. Looked after. Really easy to navigate, plenty of signages.

At the head of this vast station, which employs 9,000 people including station staff and employees of affiliated companies and commercial facilities is the stationmaster.

The current and 26th stationmaster is Momose Takashi.

Joining the company in 1989, he was promoted to stationmaster just last year.

He is the only stationmaster who is also a manging director among the more than 1,600 JR East stations.

Safety is our top priority.

We want our passengers to feel
secure when riding the train.

Stations don't have to be transit points only.

They can be exciting places, cultural
hubs where dreams are nurtured.

Stations have to change
and I believe they will.

I think Tokyo Station has a crucial
role to play in that transition.

I personally love Ramen Street and Character Street inside Tokyo Station but there is so much more to do.

So to be honest, instead of going to Tokyo Station to go on a trip, you can actually make a trip to Tokyo Station and spend an entire day there.

I see! This Marunouchi Station Building of Tokyo Station is registered as an important culture property of Japan.

So it's already an historical one and at the same time, Tokyo Station is used by a huge number of people every day so this is already a very great station,

a world-class station with the unique combination of history, culture and business.

And I do hope to see the future development as well and I'm sure it will come and I'm really looking forward to it.

Yeah me too. Let's see what great ideas they will come up with next.