Tokyo Marunouchi: address book

Area code : +81.
Time difference : + 8 hours in winter, 7 hours in summer.
Currency : The yen. 1 euro = 98 yen (January 2012).
Electricity : 100V/60 Hz with flat plugs, but most hotels offer in-room connections adapted to European appliances.

 

ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS (ANA) offers a daily direct flight between Paris CDG 1 and Narita, operated in three classes. A new business class was introduced this autumn on this route, characterised by a concern for comfort (sofa-bed, mattresses, multiple storage spaces), but also for privacy, with hulls arranged in a 1-2-1 layout which largely obscures the view of the surrounding area. The Japanese airline also offers two daily options via Frankfurt or Munich, including pre-routing from the provinces. Tel: 0820 803 212
Internet: www.ana.co.jp

 

 

AIR FRANCE and JAL offer three daily code-share flights to Narita airport and one flight to Tokyo Haneda, operated by the Japanese airline. KLM offers 10 flights a week to the Japanese capital. Tel: 0 820 320 820
Internet: www.airfrance.com, www.jal.com, www.klm.com

 

 

 

The taxi
It's not necessarily the quickest way, let alone the cheapest. To get to the centre of Tokyo, you'll need to pay at least €200!

 

The bus
To get to Marunouchi, you can take the Friendly Limousine Airport line, which runs between some hotels, or the line to Tokyo Central Station. Departures are every 10 to 30 minutes. The www.limousinebus.co.jp website provides information on the various routes, timetables and ticket reservations. Fare: 3,000 yen.

 

The train
The Narita Express is undoubtedly the easiest way to get to Tokyo Station. The problem is then getting to your final destination... The journey takes around an hour and costs 2,940 yen.

 

 

Hotels

Luxury

It took the Hong Kong luxury group fifteen years of property hunting before it found THE right location in Tokyo in 2007, in a beautiful beige building on the edge of Hibiya Park. Everything is there to nurture the Peninsula legend: a fleet of Rolls-Royces - complemented by Austins, Audis and BMWs - impeccable service and a décor adorned with a thousand works of contemporary art. The 267 rooms and 47 suites offer splendid views and state-of-the-art facilities. But the Peninsula also stands out for the quality of its communal areas with, on the leisure side, an ESPA spa complemented by a large swimming pool and a fitness centre from which you can see the gardens of the Imperial Palace. The must is on the 24th floor, with exceptional panoramic views from the bar and the Peter restaurant. Another dining option is the Cantonese restaurant Hei Fung Terrace, with several private areas and a Chef's table. 1-8-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku
Tel.: +81 (0)3 6270 2888
E-mail: ptk@peninsula.com
Internet: www.peninsula.com

 

 

Chic, cosy and contemporary: this is the approach taken by Four Seasons for its second unit in the Japanese capital. The major international luxury chain has opted for a minimalist approach in Marunouchi, with just 57 rooms - including nine suites - set in the particularly graceful volumes of the Pacific Century Place tower. The granite ambience of the mini-spa with traditional Onsen bath confirms this: here, the emphasis is on calm and intimacy. However, despite its small size, the hotel offers all the services a traveller would expect from a hotel of this standing, including a fitness studio and a 24-hour business centre. In the rooms, the emphasis is on quality, particularly the technological equipment with 3D television, Blu-ray player and WiFi. Also of note are the bay windows that open up the decor to the whole city. Light and views: this is also the appeal of the lobby and its natural extension, the Ekki Bar & Grill. From breakfast to your last drink, you can enjoy a breathtaking panorama of Tokyo station and the surrounding area. Pacific Century Place. 1-11-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku
Tel.: +81 (0)3 5222 7222
Internet: www.fourseasons.com

 

Shangri-La opened in Tokyo in 2009, on the top 11 floors of the Marunouchi Trust Tower. Whether in your room or in the large dining room of the Piacere Italian restaurant, this privileged location allows you to enjoy exceptional views over the district and the gardens of the Imperial Palace. The hotel also offers additional services reserved for guests of its Horizon Club rooms, such as late check-out, complimentary use of the meeting room, free express dry cleaning and access to the lounge on the 37th floor. Marunouchi Trust Tower Main. 1-8-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku
Phone: +81 (0)3 6739 7888
Internet: www.shangri-la.com

 

 

Inaugurated in 1890 and originally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, then rebuilt in the late 60s, the Imperial Hotel is Tokyo's equivalent of New York's Waldorf Astoria, a historical conservatory doubled as a hotel of gigantic proportions, offering almost a thousand rooms and a dozen dining areas. 1-1 Uchisaiwai-cho 1-chome, Chiyodaku
Tel.: +81 (0)3 3504 1111
Internet : www.imperialhotel.co.jp

 

More than 70 years after its creation just on the border of Ginza, the flagship liner of the Hankyu-Hanshin-Daiichi hotel group remains, with its 277 rooms, one of the favourite stopping-off points for businessmen from all over the world. 1-2-6 Shimbashi, Minato-ku
Phone: + 81 (0)3 3501 4411
Internet : www.daiichihotel-tokyo.com

 

The hotel occupies the top floors of the Marunouchi Oazo, one of the district's most aesthetically pleasing multifunctional buildings. The hotel's zen and practical decor are in tune with its avowed ambition to build a hotel expression of 'modern japanism'. 1-6-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-Ku
Tel.: +81 (0)3 3217 1111
E-mail: info@marunouchi-hotel.co.jp
Internet : www.marunouchi-hotel.co.jp

 

At the top of the Sapia Tower, this hotel is well known to meeting organisers, with three floors and 26 spaces dedicated to seminars. Another attraction is the view over the city from the bay window of the Tenqoo restaurant. Sapia Tower, 1-7-12 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku
Tel.: +81 (0)3 3211 2233
Internet : www.hm-marunouchi.jp

 

Located near Tokyo Station, this contemporary and functional Fujiya hotel offers value for money and interesting views from the Wisteria restaurant. 2-9-1 Yaesu, Chuo-ku
Tel.: +81 (0)3 3273 2111
Internet: www.yaesufujiya.com

 

2-8-4 Kyobashi Chuo-ku
Tel.: +81 (0)3 6273 0181
Internet : www.tokyoapartments.jp

 

VILLA FOUNTAIN OTEMACHI
1-8-8 Uchi Kanda Chiyoda-ku
Tel.: +81 (0)3 3291 7770
Internet : www.hvf.jp

 

Japan - among other gastronomic achievements - is the empire of charcoal cooking. The most convivial expression: the robatayaki where, as in an old-fashioned inn, people sit at the counter around a heat source over which the officiant grills a wide variety of dishes. Daigomi also offers private rooms with horigotatsuLow tables under which to stretch out your legs. Marunouchi Building 5F
Tel.: +81 (0)3 5219 7011

 

In a pretty brick setting, the best opportunity to discover the joys of kushi-age in the neighbourhood. The principle: food is breaded, then skewered and fried. The kushi-age Beef remains a classic, but almost thirty ingredients are cooked in this way at Hantei. Shin Marunouchi Building 5F
Tel.: +81 (0)3 3287 9000
Internet: www.hantei.co.jp

 

Part of the Ukai galaxy (11 restaurants in the city), this Michelin-starred grill combines Japanese aesthetics with European design. Don't miss the view over Ichigokan Square. Marunouchi Brick Square (Park Bldg.), 2-6-1, Marunouchi
Tel: +81 0(3) 5221 5252
Internet : www.ukai.co.jp

 

On the 5th floor of the Oazo Building, the representative of a chain offering a modern version of theizakayaThese are Japanese bistros where tasty snacks are served alongside beer, sake or shochu. Marunouchi Oazo 5F
Phone: +81 (0)3 5223 9896

 

 In the basement of the Nissay Theater, a izakaya fusion where Japan meets the West. Many private spaces. Nissay Theater B1, 1-1-1, Yuurakucho, Chiyoda-ku
Tel.: +81 (0)3 3595 0511
Internet : www.shunju.com

 

If a "garden view" is an important criterion, here's a place to stay right in the heart of the small Hibiya Park. Hibiya Park 1-2 Chiyoda-ku
Tel.: +81 (0)3 3503 1451
Internet: www.matsumotoro.co.jp

 

Japanese culinary etiquette can be difficult to master, so Marunouchi offers a number of international alternatives. On the 36th floor of the Marunouchi Building, this restaurant proudly bears the colours of its Milanese parent company. Marunouchi Building 36F, 2-4-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku
Tel.: +81 (0)3 5220 4686

 

This is the flagship of French gastronomy in the district, and has been awarded a Michelin star. Shin Marunouchi Building 5F, 1-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku
Tel.: +81 (0)3 5224 8070
Internet : www.augoutdujour-group.com

 

The Oyster Bar Tokyo looks like a twin to its big brother in New York, in Grand Central Station. Marunouchi MY PLAZA Meiji Seimei Kan B1F, 2-1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku
Tel.: +81 (0)3 6212 6650
Internet: www.oysterbartokyo.com

 

Contrary to popular belief, Marunouchi's towers are not just offices. The most striking example is (marunouchi) House, a highly successful 'collection' of restaurants and bars on the seventh floor of the Shin Marunouchi Building. So tired, Rigoletto or Soul Station: the hustle and bustle doesn't die down until the early hours of the morning. In Marunouchi Brick Square, the Marugo Marunouchi is worth a visit for its wine list and its terrace overlooking the garden of the Ichigokan Museum. As far as hotels are concerned, the Peter at the Peninsula is a particular highlight.

 

Shopping

Of course, Ginza and its luxury boutiques are only a few steps away. But Marunouchi also has some interesting spots. From department stores like the Hankyu Department Store to mini-malls in high-rise buildings, the choice is wide. Of particular interest are the 6th and 7th floors of the Shin Marunouchi Building and Marunouchi Oazo, with its Maruzen bookshop, a gem for collectors. Also worth a stroll is Naka-dori, the backbone of Marunouchi, dotted with luxury boutiques including Brooks Brothers, Tumi, Kate Spade, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Tiffany, Baccarat and Hermès.

 

MBE Tokyo Station Store Pacific Century Place B1F
Internet : www.mbe.co.jp

 

24 Limousine Tel: +81 (0)3 5790 6211
Internet: www.24-limo.com

 

Business centres

Tokyo Pacific Century Place Pacific Century Place 8th. 1-11-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku - Tel: +81 (0)3 6860 8200 Internet: www.regus.com Tokyo Hibiya Centre The Imperial Hotel Tower 15th F. 1-1-1, Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku
Tel.: +81 (0)3 3507 5600
Internet : www.regus.com

 

SERVCORP
Marunouchi Trust Main Tower Marunouchi Trust 20th F. 1-8-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-Ku
Tel.: +81 (0)3 6269 3000
Internet : www.servcorp.fr
Hibiya Central Building Hibiya Central Building 14th F. 1-2-9 Nishi Shimbashi, Minato-Ku
Tel.: +81 (0)3 5532 7300
Internet : www.servcorp.fr