Tokyo Railway Map (1930)
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Hotels (Late Meiji)
Construction began in 1912 on Tokyo Central Station, the capital gateway that would, in time, consolidate all but one of the dozen or so government-operated rail links to and from the capital under one roof. Prior the terminal's completetion in 1914, Tokyo had three main rail terminals: Ueno, gateway to Japan's northern prefectures; Manseibashi, terminus for travel to and from the western provinces; and Shimbashi, the city's principal terminal from the time rail service had first been established in the 1870's to Yokohama, Osaka and Kyoto. The story goes that the National Railways directed Kingo Tatsuno (Japan's first modern architect, he studied under Josiah Condor) to design a station after the style of a Momoyama palace, since the building would face the Imperial Palace. But when the architect showed his design to Emperor Meiji, His Majesty remarked "Stations and like things are best rendered in a foreign style." Kingo then returned with a design said to be derived from Amsterdam's picturesque central rail station.
(Above:) The Tokyo Station. A view of the terminal, looking east, ca. 1915, shortly after its opening. The immediate area around the station remained undeveloped for several years.
(Above:) The Tokyo Station Hotel. A view, ca. 1920, of the southwest corner of the terminal. You can get a good idea of the scale of the building by looking at its size relative to the streetcar and pedestrians near it.
(Above:) The Tokyo Station Hotel. The entrance to the 90-room Tokyo Station Hotel is marked by the green awning. To its left is a semi-circular ramped entrance that was used exclusively by the Emperor and visiting dignitaries.
(Above:) Tokyo Station. The most distinctive features of the station were its ornate cupolas and ornate roofline. They survived the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake intact but were destroyed during a World War II firebombing and, sadly, never replaced during post-war reconstruction as originally designed or during the station's recent (2003) refurbishing.
(Above:) Tokyo Marine Insurance Cos Building in Front of Tokyo Station (Tokyo Sight). The commercial area in front of the station was owned by Mitsubishi and remained relatively undeveloped for many years after the completion of Tokyo Central Station. Here, left, can be seen one of the first office buildings constructed in the Marunouchi (Area Within The Walls) district-- the Kaijyo-biru (Maritime Building). To the far right can be seen construction shelters for Tokyo's then-soon-to-be largest office structure: the Marunouchi Building (Maru Buri), finished in 1922.
(Above:) Tokyo Station. An aerial view of Tokyo Station, ca. 1920, looking east toward Kyobashi. The Emperor's entrance can be seen more clearly here, in the middle of the terminal. On the east side of the terminal, a covered walkway crossed freightyard tracks and led passengers underneath the express and local service platforms. Ticketing was done inside the terminal.
(Above:) Untitled. Crown Prince Hirohito and his new bride, Nagako, board the Imperial coach at Tokyo Station on January 29, 1924, four days after their royal marriage. They would spend their honeymoon north of Tokyo at Lake Inawashiro.