Tokyo Station Completion Day (second entry)

What Is Tokyo Station Completion Day?

Every December 18th is "Tokyo Station Completion Day" (東京駅完成記念日, Tōkyō Eki Kansei Kinenbi) in Japan. On December 18, 1914, the iconic red-brick Marunouchi station building of Tokyo Station — designed by architect Tatsuno Kingo and modeled on Amsterdam Centraal Station — was completed and the station opened as the central terminus of Japan's national railway network. The station's grand European-style facade, facing the Imperial Palace, announced Japan's aspirations to equal the great railway stations of the world's leading nations.

Tokyo Station's History and Restoration

The original 1914 Marunouchi building was damaged by American bombing in the final months of WWII and subsequently rebuilt with simplified rooflines. In 2012, following a meticulously planned restoration project, the station was returned to its 1914 appearance — the full dome rooftops and original architectural details recreated using historical records and surviving materials. The restored station has become one of Tokyo's most celebrated architectural achievements and a destination in its own right for visitors who come specifically to see the historic building.

Tokyo Station as Japan's Railway Hub

Tokyo Station serves as Japan's primary Shinkansen hub — the departure point for bullet trains to Kyoto and Osaka (Tōkaidō Shinkansen), Sendai and Sapporo (Tōhoku Shinkansen), Niigata (Jōetsu Shinkansen), and Kanazawa (Hokuriku Shinkansen). The station's 30 platforms handle some 400,000 passengers daily and approximately 3,000 trains. Its underground shopping and restaurant complex is one of Tokyo's most visited destinations, and the "Tokyo Ramen Street" (東京ラーメンストリート) in the basement is a famous food destination.

Fun Facts

• Hotel in the station: The Tokyo Station Hotel (東京ステーションホテル), first opened in 1915 within the Marunouchi building and restored alongside the station in 2012, is one of Japan's most historic and prestigious luxury hotels — with rooms in the original station building overlooking the station concourse or the Emperor's garden.
• Station bento: The ekiben (駅弁, station bento) available at Tokyo Station's underground retail areas represent bento boxes from across Japan — Tokyo Station is considered one of the finest ekiben destination in the country, with seasonal and regional specialties regularly rotated.