Tokyo Station (Marunouchi Building)

Stretching out in front of you is the façade of Tokyo Station, some 335 metres long. Its red brick with bands of white stone looks European, and that is no accident: it is the best-known work of Tatsuno Kingo, the architect who trained in London and helped give Japan a modern image.

1The gateway to the new capital

The station opened on 20 December 1914. Its orientation is not random: the central entrance faces the Imperial Palace, and for decades it was reserved for the emperor. In front of it rose Marunouchi, the office district that replaced the mansions of the feudal lords.

2Bombs and restoration

In May 1945 an air raid burned the roof, the domes and the third floor. After the war it was rebuilt in a hurry, with just two floors and makeshift roofs that ended up lasting more than sixty years. In 2003 it was designated an Important Cultural Property and, between 2007 and 2012, it was restored to the way it looked in 1914, domes included.

3Two assassinations

The station was also a stage for the political violence of the interwar years. On 4 November 1921, Prime Minister Hara Takashi was stabbed to death in the south concourse. In 1930, Prime Minister Hamaguchi Osachi was shot on a platform and died a few months later. Both spots are marked with discreet plaques.

The station that now welcomes bullet trains was born as the ceremonial gateway to an empire.

4What to look for

• The two domes, brought back in 2012.
• The bands of white stone across the brick, Tatsuno's trademark.
• The central entrance, lined up with the avenue that leads to the palace.