KITTE Marunouchi: Rooftop Garden, Free Museum and Floor Guide
Quick answer
- KITTE Marunouchi is a shopping building in the former Tokyo Central Post Office, one minute from Tokyo Station's Marunouchi South Exit.
- Its 6F rooftop, KITTE Garden, and the Intermediatheque museum on 2F and 3F are both free.
- Shops open 11:00 to 20:00 and restaurants to 22:00.
What Is KITTE Marunouchi?
KITTE Marunouchi is a shopping and dining building directly opposite Tokyo Station's Marunouchi South Exit, built into the former Tokyo Central Post Office. Its name comes from kitte, the Japanese word for a postage stamp.
It also holds two free sights near the station, a rooftop garden that looks down on the red-brick station building and a museum of the University of Tokyo's collections.
The post office building dates from 1931. When Japan Post rebuilt the site as the JP Tower office block, part of the old white facade and structure was kept, and KITTE opened inside it on 21 March 2013.
The architect Kengo Kuma designed the interior, around a tall triangular atrium. The post office still works on 1F.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Shops | 11:00 to 20:00, every day |
| Restaurants and cafés | 11:00 to 22:00, every day |
| Closed | 1 January and building inspection days |
| Rooftop KITTE Garden | Weekdays 11:00 to 23:00, weekends and holidays 11:00 to 22:00, free |
Some shops keep their own hours. For the rest of the area, including the station domes and the Imperial Palace, see our Tokyo Station guide.
KITTE Marunouchi Floor Guide
KITTE has seven floors, from B1 to 6F, and the free sights are spread through the building, with tourist information on B1, the museum on 2F and 3F, the old postmaster's office on 4F and the garden on 6F.
| Floor | What is there | For families |
|---|---|---|
| B1 | Restaurants, cafés, food shops, Tokyo City i tourist information | Coin lockers, ATM |
| 1F | Shops, cafés, the post office and Japan Post Bank, atrium | KITTE information desk |
| 2F to 3F | Shops, Intermediatheque museum (entrance on 2F) | Nappy-changing tables in toilets |
| 4F | Shops and cafés, former Postmaster's Office | Nappy-changing tables in toilets |
| 5F | Restaurants, JP Tower Hall | Nursing room |
| 6F | Restaurants, KITTE Garden rooftop | Nappy-changing tables in toilets |
Lifts run to every floor, so you can go straight to the rooftop with a stroller and work down.
KITTE Garden, the Free Rooftop over Tokyo Station
KITTE Garden is the open-air roof terrace on 6F, about 1,500 square metres of lawn and wooden decking, and it is free. From the railing you look straight down on the red brick, the two domes and the tracks, with Shinkansen and local trains coming and going.
- Hours. Weekdays 11:00 to 23:00. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 11:00 to 22:00.
- Weather. It closes in bad weather, such as heavy rain or strong wind.
- Getting up. Take a lift to 6F. The garden is on the same floor as the restaurants.
- Best time. Late afternoon into dusk, when the station building is lit and the office towers light up behind it.
For children, the trains are the draw. The Marunouchi side of the yard has a steady stream of trains below the terrace, and there is room on the lawn to sit down.
Our guide to the Tokyo Station Marunouchi building explains what you are looking at, from the 1914 building and its domes to how it was restored.
The garden is busiest on fine weekend evenings. On weekdays, and earlier in the afternoon, it is calmer. Give it 20 to 30 minutes, longer if the children are counting trains.
ONOI strongly recommend the KITTE rooftop. It is a photo spot with a clear view of the Marunouchi station building, and it is best at night.
Intermediatheque, the Free Museum Inside KITTE
The Intermediatheque on 2F and 3F is a free museum run by Japan Post and the University Museum of the University of Tokyo. It shows objects from the university's collections, such as animal skeletons, stuffed birds and mammals, minerals, scientific instruments and architectural models, laid out in old wooden cabinets under low light.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Hours | 11:00 to 18:00, Fridays and Saturdays until 20:00 |
| Closed | Mondays (Tuesday if Monday is a holiday), year-end holidays, some other days |
| Admission | Free, no booking |
| Entrance | 2F of KITTE |
The rules are short. Photography for personal use is allowed except where a sign says otherwise. Video, flash and tripods are not.
Large bags on wheels go in the lockers provided. Umbrellas stay outside the exhibition rooms, and there is no eating or drinking. The museum sometimes closes for exhibition changes, so check the calendar on its site the day before.
Children who like animals and dinosaurs usually enjoy the skeletons. The low light and quiet rooms suit school-age children better than toddlers. Allow 30 to 60 minutes.
If your family wants a bigger science museum, the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno is the full-size version.
The Former Postmaster's Office (4F)
On 4F, the office of the old Tokyo Central Post Office's postmaster has been partly recreated with original materials, including the floor and window glass, and it is free to enter from 11:00 to 20:00. Its windows look straight across at the Tokyo Station building, which makes it a quieter, indoor alternative to the rooftop for a photo.
The room is small, so a visit takes 5 to 10 minutes. Save it for a rainy day, or for when the garden is closed for the weather.
Shopping at KITTE Marunouchi
The shops at KITTE focus on Japanese-made goods and regional products rather than international brands, so look here for gifts that are not sweets. Most are on 1F to 4F.
These shops are on the current floor guide.
- Toyooka Kaban (1F). Bags from Toyooka in Hyogo, a town known for bag-making.
- Kaneko Optical (3F). Japanese-made glasses frames.
- Tabio (3F). Japanese-made socks.
- H TOKYO (3F). Handkerchiefs, a classic small gift in Japan.
- Hacoa (4F). Wooden phone stands and desk goods.
Shops change, so use the floor guide on the KITTE site to check before you go. Some shops offer tax-free shopping with your passport. Since 1 November 2026, Japan has used a refund system in which you pay the tax at the till and claim it back at the airport.
Where to Eat at KITTE
KITTE's restaurants are on B1, 1F, 5F and 6F, open until 22:00. The B1 floor has the quick, casual places and food shops. 5F and 6F have the sit-down restaurants, some with windows on the station.
Two of them follow the regional theme. Honke Abeya (B1) serves oyakodon, chicken and egg on rice, made with Hinai jidori chicken from Akita, and Kushiro (6F) is a charcoal grill and sushi restaurant, with lunch sets from about ¥3,400 in October 2026.
The cafés and casual places on B1 and 1F cost less. Check the menu outside before you sit down.
Lunch is busiest from about 12:00 to 13:00 on weekdays, when the Marunouchi offices empty. With children, eat at 11:00 when the restaurants open, or after 13:30.
Visiting KITTE with Kids
KITTE is flat, has lifts to every floor and connects underground to Tokyo Station, so a stroller is no problem. The official floor guide lists these facilities.
- Nursing room. It is on 5F, with a nappy-changing table inside.
- Baby seats and changing tables. They are in the toilets on 2F to 3F, 4F and 6F.
- Accessible toilets. They are on B1 and on 2F to 6F.
- Coin lockers. They are on B1, along the concourse towards the JR Keiyo Line.
- Smoking. It is allowed only in a corner on 5F. The rest of the building is non-smoking.
With children, go to the rooftop first for the trains, have a snack on B1, then visit the Intermediatheque if they are still curious. On Mondays the museum is closed, so pair the rooftop with the Imperial Palace outer gardens instead.
If you would like a guide to carry the plan, our private Tokyo tour with kids can include KITTE and the station on a day built around your children. Our guide to things to do in Tokyo with kids has more ideas for the rest of the trip, and our tours in Tokyo list every private day we run.
How to Get to KITTE Marunouchi
KITTE is about one minute on foot from the JR Tokyo Station Marunouchi South Exit. Walk out, cross the road in front of the station, and the white building is on the corner.
You can also reach it underground without going outside.
- JR lines (Yamanote, Chuo, Shinkansen). Use the Marunouchi South Exit, about 1 minute away.
- Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line. Tokyo Station is connected by an underground passage.
- Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line. Nijubashimae (Marunouchi) Station is about 2 minutes away.
- JR Keiyo Line (for Tokyo Disney Resort). It takes about 3 minutes.
- Toei Mita Line. Otemachi Station is about 4 minutes away.
- JR Yurakucho Station. It is about 6 minutes on foot.
Plan 1 to 2 hours for the rooftop, the museum and a meal. For a half-day plan that joins KITTE with the station and the palace gardens, see our Tokyo Station guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is KITTE Garden free?
-
Yes. The rooftop KITTE Garden on 6F is free, with no ticket or booking. It is open 11:00 to 23:00 on weekdays and 11:00 to 22:00 on weekends and holidays, and it closes in bad weather.
- Is the Intermediatheque free?
-
Yes, admission is free and you do not need to book. It is on 2F and 3F of KITTE, open 11:00 to 18:00, until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, and closed on Mondays and over the New Year.
- Can you take photos in the Intermediatheque?
-
Yes, for personal use, except where a sign says no. Video, flash and tripods are not allowed.
- What are KITTE Marunouchi's opening hours?
-
Shops are open 11:00 to 20:00 and restaurants and cafés 11:00 to 22:00, every day. The building closes on 1 January and on building inspection days.
- How do I get to KITTE from Tokyo Station?
-
Leave by the JR Marunouchi South Exit and cross the road. KITTE is about one minute away. From the Marunouchi subway line you can walk there underground.
- Can you see the Shinkansen from KITTE Garden?
-
Yes. The rooftop looks over the Tokyo Station tracks, and you can watch Shinkansen and local trains coming in and out beside the red-brick station building.
KITTE Marunouchi
Address
2-7-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0005
Nearest station
Tokyo Station (JR lines / Tokyo Metro Marunouchi), Marunouchi South Exit
Sources
https://marunouchi.jp-kitte.jp/guide/
https://marunouchi.jp-kitte.jp/guide/facilities.jsp
https://marunouchi.jp-kitte.jp/shop/floor/floor.jsp
https://www.intermediatheque.jp/en/info/guide
https://www.tokyostationcity.com/en/learning/station_building/
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