Marunouchi: the quest for perfection 

Perfectionism is very important in Japan. In the collective national quest to slowly achieve the immaculate, Tokyo’s Marunouchi district may come close to that goal. Whenever designers sketch out future business districts, the idealised result might look like Marunouchi today. During my stay there last week, I saw what looked like an immaculate architect’s drawing – happy, well-dressed people strolling along tree-lined sidewalks with inviting restaurants beneath railway arches. Above the arches, the magnificent Shinkansen bullet train glided into Tokyo Station. Perfectly on time as ever. 

This flawless picture was, of course, not necessarily reflective of all Japan or even all Tokyo. My short visit was more like creating an impression of France based on six days in La Défense. Marunouchi is bigger, better and feels somehow younger than its French counterpart. Unlike La Défense, it was mainly conceived around public transport rather than the motor car and has not been grafted on to a historic city centre. Instead, it IS the city centre, sandwiched between two key Tokyo landmarks, the high energy of the main train station and the serenity of the Imperial Palace gardens.