Tuesdays with Marunouchi

Posted on May 30, 2007 by Ulara Nakagawa

Leave it to a skyscraper to teach me a lesson in assumption. Just when I was wondering what was left for me to see in the city, the Shin Marunouchi building at Tokyo Station opened its doors.

Officially up and running on April the 27, 2007, the building is a sleek black giant, standing a formidable 38 floors tall. An office-retail complex; its shopping and restaurant section is open to the public and inhabits the basement to 7th floor.

I was a skeptic, (especially of the ‘office’ aspect of the place) until a Tokyo native explained to me that on weekends, when all of the business people are not around, it has become a major attraction for ‘regulars’.

The shopping area is nice, but the juiciest part of Shin Marunouchi can be found on the 5th, 6th, and 7th floors where a maze of restaurants and bars dazzles and entices visitors. There is pride, mystery and excitement to be found on these three floors.

The pride is in the décor, a sort of eclectic rich-people-with-good-taste kind of style. I was surprised to enjoy a giant disco ball on the ceiling, amongst many chandeliers. Pride can also be found in the faces of the servers, chefs and cooks working in the restaurants and bars; they seemed relaxed and sociable, both with one another and with the clientele, content to be a part of the shiny and new.

The just right dim lighting and sneak peek features add to the mystery. The restaurant and bars are generally open concept, but like a lady showing just enough skin to rouse interest, frosted glass and partial views into tenderly set-up dining rooms and kitchens only leaves you wanting more.

The excitement comes from the risks this classy building takes. There is one bar that has its name on a giant lit up sign right in the middle of the shop. The name of the bar? SO TIRED. In the women’s powder room, in which everything is white, I am shocked to find dainty pieces of antique furniture set up so ladies can sit down and have a chat, or read a book if they like. Want to walk around with your drink? Sure. The bartender encourages us to take our glasses of wine out onto the deck, where we can enjoy the view.

Thanks to Shin Marunouchi, I will never doubt a building again.