Click here for map of the Otemachi, Marunouchi and Imperial Palace area
Marunouchi is the strip of land facing the Imperial Palace between Hibiya and Otemachi. It is considered as the most prestigious place for companies to have their headquarters (along with Otemachi).
Indeed, Marunouchi is expensive. There is even a saying "Marunouchi price" (丸の内値段) that refers to overpriced shops and restaurants. To experience this, take a stroll to the much celebrated 179m tall Marunouchi Building (or "Maru biru" 丸ビル). It has a nice shopping center on the first 6 floors, including a branch of Maruzen bookshop on the 5th floor and one of Meidi-ya in the basement. Marunouchi building has restaurants on its 36 and 37th floors with splendid views on the Imperial Palace, Ginza and Nihombashi.
OAZO
OAZO is the new shopping centre and office buildings complex at the junction of Marunouchi and Otemachi. It opened in September 2004 and has become the trendy place to see and to be seen. Oazo means oasis in Esperanto. The two "O" also stand for Marunouchi ("maru" meaning circle in Japanese) and the first letter of Otemachi. A and Z in the middle denotes that one can find everything there.
With Maruzen Bookstore moving its main branch from Nihombashi, and plenty of excellent restaurants and cafes, Marunouchi OAZO has all it needs to satisfied jaded Tokyoite business people. But the most remarkable feature is maybe OAZO's architecture integrating elegance and class to modernity.
Otemachi 大手町
Otemachi takes it name from the Ote-mon Gate of the Imperial Palace. In the Edo period, Otemachi was the location of the enormous palace of prince Matsudaira.
Nowadays, it is where most of the biggest Japanese firms have their head office.
Otemachi is also the largest metro station in Tokyo, with 5 lines converging there. It has so many exits that it almost reaches the stations of Tokyo, Nijubashi-mae, Takebashi, Mitsukoshi-Mae and Nihombashi.
Notable constructions are the almost New-York-like Nomura Building, the strangely shaped New Sankei Building and the Otemachi First Square. The Palace Hotel at the prestigious address of Marunouchi 1-1-1 is one of the oldest and most famous hotel of the capital, notwithstanding the fact that its exterior appearance is far from appealing and nearly ressemble a warehouse or Communist dormitory.
Surrounding Areas :
Kyobashi - Yaesu - Tokyo Station (East)
Nihombashi (East)
Kanda (North-East)
Kudanshita (North-West)
Ginza (South)
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