Tokyo, capital of Japan, with Marunouchi situated at its heart.
From our headquarters here, Mitsubishi Estate has carried out vital development work in all of Japan's major cities.
Marunouchi has functioned as the nerve center of the Japanese economy for 100 years.A 120-hectacre town situated between the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Station.
Nearly 100 buildings…
The over 4,000 companies account for around 10% of all those listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and employ about 240,000 people.
Tokyo's best traffic network, with Tokyo Station, the country's major crossroads, thirteen railway lines, and seven subway lines.
A complimentary electric bus shuttle is sponsored by the local business community.Environmental considerations, including a district heating and cooling system and energy-saving and greening programs are keenly promoted.
The entire area benefits from an underground pedestrian network and an advanced communications infrastructure.

400 years ago, Edo Castle became the political, economic and cultural capital of Japan.
The streets of what is now Marunouchi were once the residential quarter of the feudal lords who protected Edo Castle.
Upon the Meiji Restoration, Edo Castle became the Imperial Palace, and the feudal lords' residential quarters a military drilling ground.
Soon after, the Meiji government decided to sell the land to the private sector to encourage urbanization.
But the price of the land was five times that of surrounding areas, and negotiations floundered.
Only Mitsubishi understood the government's intentions, and purchased all the land.
The conviction that invigorating a modern state required an international business center opened the path to Marunouchi's future.
The first phase of development in Marunouchi was unveiled with the completion of Mitsubishi Ichigokan in 1894.

The red brick townscape that sprung up soon earned the area the nickname of the "London block."
After Tokyo Station opened in 1914, development spread in that direction and the architectural style changed to larger, American-style buildings.
The decisive point came in 1923 with the completion of the Marunouchi Building. With its first floor shopping arcade, it was popular for many years as a publicly accessible office building.
Around this time, regulations were established that restricted the height of buildings to 31 meters.
After the Marunouchi Building, the skyline became a uniform 31 meters, a functional townscape that earned the nickname, the “New York block."
The age of high economic growth led to a surge in demand for office space in Marunouchi, and rebuilding with larger buildings began.

Small blocks were integrated into larger blocks, and roads widened.
This was the second phase of development that led to today's Marunouchi.
Overlooking the lush grounds of the Imperial Palace, Marunouchi is still a business center with a neat and uniquely aesthetic charm, even in the age of 100-meter-high buildings.
Mitsubishi Estate started the third development phase with the rebuilding of the Marunouchi Building, announced in 1995.
Through six rebuilding projects, a new townscape in front of Tokyo Station is now complete.
Marunouchi Building, a center for interaction representing the new era of Marunouchi.
Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Building, united with the historic preservation of the Industry Club of Japan.
Marunouchi OAZO, a complex development built on the site of the old Japan Railways headquarters.
Tokyo Building, the first in Japan to use a transferable floor area ratio system.
Shin-Marunouchi Building, a multifunctional hub, designed by Sir Michael Hopkins.And a sister to the prestigious Hong Kong hotel, The Peninsula Tokyo.

A  dramatically transformed cityscape in just ten years. Along with an expanded flow of people, Marunouchi is no longer the center of Tokyo's business community alone.
Glamorous boutiques, restaurants, street events, and cultural attractions entice passersby. A unique lifestyle with an enriched, vibrant personality.
New buildings designed for the future – fully networked for emerging businesses and symbiotically linked to the environment. Challenging the next generation.

Tracing Marunouchi's origin to Mitsubishi Ichigokan, the heirloom building is now being reconstructed as a museum adjacent to the Marunouchi Park Building.
The original vision for Japan's first office district began on this corner, leading to a premier business center with a rich lifestyle and culture.
A future vision with a window to the past.