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銀座たてもの探訪

Exploring Ginza’s Architecture Vol. 3. Marunouchi TOEI

There comes a time when a building ends its role. It is indeed a sad moment that is sometimes inevitable. Fully using a building until its last day may be the best way to appreciate it.

数寄屋橋交差点から見た東映会館(丸の内TOEI)。
View of TOEI Kaikan (Marunouchi TOEI) from the Sukuiyabashi Intersection
Uino
Ogikubo san, in this edition of “Exploring Ginza’s Archnitecture”, we will visit TOEI Kaikan (Marunouchi TOEI)
Ogikubo
Marunouchi TOEI is that movie theater on Sotobori-dori that we can see from the Sukiyabashi Intersection. I don’t recall anything special about it.
Uino
I wanted to visit it before it closes in July this year for reconstruction.
Ogikubo
So this is a special edition to appreciate a building that we will be losing soon.
Uino
Let us keep it in our records and memory.
Ogikubo
The building has always been there and I had never thought about how old it was. Is it so old that it needs to be rebuilt?
Uino
It was built in 1960 (Showa 3).
Ogikubo
That far back! That is three years before I was born. It had never occurred to me that it was such an old building, but come to think of it, the façade and windows do have a Showa look.
東映株式会社の本社兼映画館の「東映会館」。街に馴染んでいて65年前の建物とは思えない。
TOEI Kaikan, Toei Company, Ltd.’s headquarters and movie theater.
A part of the townscape, it does not seem to be 65 years old.
Uino
Don’ you find this intriguing?
Ogikubo
I do, I do. 1960 marks the beginning of Japan’s period of rapid economic growth—the golden age when movies were king of entertainment. I’m curious what movie theaters were like back then. How much remains from back then?
Uino
That is what we are here to find out!

A movie theater that lets you relive the high-growth era

Uino
So here we are at the Toei Kaikan, where we’ve been given a thorough tour and heard many stories from the old days. There’s so much to cover, I don’t even know where to begin. Any suggestions?
Ogikubo
I’d like to start by clearing up a basic question that’s always puzzled me.
Uino
Any what may that be?
Ogikubo
The Toei Kaikan is in Ginza 3-chome, yet it’s called “Marunouchi TOEI.” The name Marunouchi gives one the impression that it would be located on the other side of the JR train tracks. Technically, Marunouchi is the area on the inner side of the metropolitan expressway KK Line (which follows the path of the old inner moat), but Toei Kaikan is clearly on the outside.
Uino
Ah, the name. According to people at Toei, it may be because there used to be a bridge called “Marunouchi-bashi” (Marunouchi Bridge) in front of the theater, and several movie theaters with “Marunouchi” in their names were located on the other side.
Ogikubo
I wasn’t quite convinced about that, so I checked it out. I had a map of Chuo-ku from 1953 (Showa 28)—right after the Second World War, before the Toei Kaikan was built—and took a look. And guess what?
Uino
What did you find?
Ogikubo
There was a bridge called “Marunouchi-bashi” right next to where the Toei Kaikan now stands! It must have meant “the bridge leading to Marunouchi.” The Marunouchi Piccadilly is located on the inner side and there used to be the Marunouchi Nikkatsu and Marunouchi Toho as well. So the name “Marunouchi TOEI” totally makes sense.
昭和28年の中央区。まだ内濠が残っており、丸之内橋が架かってた!(東京都区分詳細図より「中央区」 日地出版 荻窪圭所蔵)
Map of Chuo-ku from 1953 (Showa 28).
The inner moat was still intact, and the Marunouchi Bridge is clearly marked!ま
(“Chuo-ku” from Tokyo Wards: Detailed Maps, published by Nitchi Shuppan. Courtesy of Kei Ogikubo.)
Uino
Now that the mystery is solved, let’s dive into the glamour of the heart of entertainment from the high-growth era.
Ogikubo
The lobby has a nostalgic structure!
丸の内TOEI 1のロビーを入るとすぐ劇場の扉が。座席表も懐かしい。
Step into the lobby of Marunouchi TOEI and you’re already at the theater doors.
Even the seating chart feels nostalgic.
Uino
What do you mean by nostalgic?
Ogikubo
Most theaters nowadays are multiplexes. There’s a large shared lobby for multiple theaters where snacks and drinks are sold. There are benches and sofas where you wait until your movie is about to start and then proceed to the theater. But back in those days, each theater had a single entrance, and once you bought your ticket and entered, you were right at the theater doors.
Uino
I see. So you would see the movie poster outside and be excited, “Oh! Ken Takakura is in this one!” The you would buy a ticket, hand it to the usher, and head straight to your seat. Simple, but this kind of access to the theater built up the excitement. There is only a small snack counter that is labeled “concession.” It seems to be that the word “concession” is used for snack stands in movie theaters, but what does it mean?
ロビーのコンセッション。ここで飲み物やポップコーンを買うのだ。
The concession stand in the lobby
This is where one purchases drinks and popcorn.
Ogikubo
I was curious too so looked it up. “Concession” means “permission” or “license,” so a “concession stand” is a shop that has been given permission to operate in the theater.
Uino
Wow, I had no idea. It has a sophisticated ring. Oh, I found a vintage detail in the lobby. Look at the lovely pictograms on the restroom signs.
化粧室の男女のピクトグラムにも注目。こういうディテールに歴史が隠れているのだ
Even the restroom pictograms reflect the era.
It is in the little design details where history is hidden.
Ogikubo
You are right. The pictograms depict a classic lady and gentleman that really evokes the theater’s old-fashioned atmosphere.
Uino
Now let us enter the theater. Wow, this is what I call a theater! Such a luxurious space!
スクリーンが少し高い位置にあり、傾斜がすごく緩いのが特徴だ。
Some defining features are the high screen
and the seats arranged on a very mild slope.
Ogikubo
This is classic too. Old movie theaters had doors at the back of the room. And I was surprised at the mild slope—modern cinemas have steeply inclined seating, and you look for your seat walking up from the entrance at the bottom of the steps stairs. It is like a shallow bowl.
舞台側から見た客席。ゆるやかな傾斜や背もたれの角度がよくわかる。
View from the stage.
You can see the gentle slope and the angle of the seat backs clearly.
Uino
Yet from any seat, the screen appears perfectly in your line of sight. Apparently, even the chair angles were carefully calculated.
Ogikubo
It helps that the screen is up on a big stage, making it easy to see. In modern theaters, you look down at the screen.
Uino
And the wide stage makes it perfect for actor greetings and stage events too.
Ogikubo
It even has second floor balcony seats that we rarely see today. This is indeed luxurious.
2階席から。こちらからの鑑賞もよさそう。
View from the second floor. It would be a grand view from here.
Uino
Those front-center balcony seats were once reserved seats, right? The seats are a bit plush. Perfect for date-nights!
Ogikubo
What makes this theater unique is that the upper floors are offices for Toei Company Ltd. There’s even a barbershop for employees in the building, which is open to the public.
エレベーター脇にお馴染みの理容店のアレが。この奥に理容室がある。
The barbershop is just beyond
the familiar barber sign standing by the elevator.
Uino
The owner used to run a barbershop in Ginza. A regular customer from Toei suggested he open a shop in TOEI Kaikan to make it more convenient. Therefore, he knows the area from before TOEI Kaikan was built. He said that he used to sneak in and play catch on Sundays when it was still an empty lot.
理容室前で。理容室は6月30日までだそうです。
In front of the barbershop, which will close on June 30.
Ogikubo
We’ve highlighted the spots where you can still feel the vibe of when movies at the heart of entertainment. Anyone visiting Marunouchi TOEI should definitely check these out.
Uino
I heard there used to be a café as well. It really was a landmark venue for entertainment.

Traces of history in unexpected places

Uino
Now let us continue diving deeper.
Ogikubo
When you say deeper, you must mean areas not open to the public, where only staff and insiders can access. Those non-public areas are where you often find old equipment and hidden gems.
Uino
We were lucky enough to be shown the projection room.
Ogikubo
That wall clock in the projection booth—doesn’t it look ancient? The font is classic. It does not have the manufacturer’s logo, but it would sell for sure if they made a replica.
映写室にかけられていた掛け時計。特にロゴも何もないけど、文字盤からしてすごく古そうだ。
The wall clock in the projection booth.
There is no brand name, yet the typeface and style of the dial unmistakably mark it as vintage.
Uino
The clock is fascinating too, but look at this window!
Ogikubo
That is the inspection window next to the projector which has not been changed from when they used film. Back then, the projectionist had to manually change reels, so they played each reel watching carefully through that window. Now the same room houses a modern digital projector. That contrast is amazing.
65年前の映写室に最新のデジタル映写機というギャップがたまらない。
A 65-year-old projection booth
now houses a state-of-the-art digital projector—what a contrast!
Uino
I’m amazed they managed to get this bulky equipment through that narrow, steep stairway.
映写室へ降りていく狭くて急な階段。ここを使ってデジタル機材を搬入?
The narrow and steep stairway leading to the projection room.
How did they bring the digital equipment in?
Ogikubo
The air conditioning system is also worth noting. Both film and digital equipment release a lot of heat. Did you notice the pipe running in front of the projector that they used to let water flow? They used water to cool the equipment. Imagine doing all this before air conditioning existed. Oh look, more vintage gear!
各種デジタル機材がセットされたラックの裏に開館した時からあるとおぼしきスピーカーを発見
Behind the rack of digital equipment
Speakers from the days of the theater’s opening
Uino
Those speakers were used to relay announcements from the control room. Let us look at other spots from the high-growth era. We were recommended some spots by a Toei employee who is also a Toei enthusiast.
Ogikubo
First, the floor numbers on the stairs. The font is beautiful, but I especially love that lightning bolt-like symbol between the numbers.
階段の階数表示が昭和レトロだ
The retro floor number signs
Uino
And the dust chute! You never see these anymore. Trash dropped here would go straight to the basement, where they had an incinerator to burn the waste onsite.
ここを開いてゴミを放り込めばokというダストシュート。まさか地下に焼却場があったとは
Door of the dust chute to open and toss trash in.
Who would have guessed there was an incinerator in the basement!
Ogikubo
I would have thought that they collected the trash and loaded it ont to garbage trucks, but no—they burned it in-house. That is unthinkable today.
Uino
They even had their own backup generator in the basement, which to my surprise had been in use until quite recently. I was also surprised to see so many “No smoking while walking” signs everywhere.
実はいたるところで目にした「歩行中禁煙」。室内で喫煙が当たり前だった大昔の時代のプレートらしく、歴史を感じるポイントの一つ。
“No smoking while walking” signs can be found everywhere.
They reflect the old times when smoking indoors was normal.
They are a tangible reminder of the time passed.
Uino
Also worth noting are the mailboxes. Each floor had a drop slot for outgoing mail, which were all collected in a box on the first floor for postal pickup.
各フロアにあった投函口。よく見ると「ここから投函する郵便物には必ず切手を貼ってください」とある。
The mail drop slot on each floor.
Note the label: “Please affix a stamp to mail dropped here.”
Ogikubo
I wondered where those mail from each floor went, and found the box at reception on the first floor. It says “Private Mailbox.” It is no longer used and is therefore taped shut, but I love that it’s still here. I think it is valuable that we can still be reminded of those old times.
「私設郵便差出箱」とある。ここで郵便局が集配していったのだ。
A box labeled “Private Mailbox.”
This is where the post office delivered and collected the mail.
Uino
Lastly, let us visit the rooftop. There’s a small Inari shrine up there.
Ogikubo
A surprise side-story from our “Visit Ginza’s Shrines” series.
屋上に鎮座する「東映稲荷」。眺めもなかなかよし。
The “Toei Inari” shrine on the rooftop. Nice view too.
Uino
I was moved to discover such an impressive Inari shrine after we concluded our “Visit Ginza’s Shrines” series. It is so beautiful and powerful.
Ogikubo
“The plaque reads ‘Toei Inari,’ and the names of successive company presidents are inscribed on the torii gates. It may have stood here since the building was first completed. The open sky feels especially vast, thanks to the absence of tall buildings nearby.”
東映稲荷の鳥居の隙間から見える東映のロゴ。
The Toei logo is visible through the Torii gates of the Inari shrine.
Uino
You can see the building from the JR railway (then Japan National Railway) so they so they used to hang large movie banners on the walls. At one time, there was even a beer garden up here.
Ogikubo
Amazing. Watching Battles Without Honor and Humanity and then heading to a rooftop beer garden? That sounds exciting.
Uino
And that wraps up our journey from basement to rooftop through this 65-year-old theater.
Ogikubo
At first, I was not quite sure about covering a building slated for demolition. But it turned out to be full of traces of history, and every corner was fascinating. History is not told only through famous events, but can be found in places like this. I hope that many people can come to feel the atmosphere of the theater itself, which we discussed in the first half. When will it close?
丸の内TOEIで映画を鑑賞できるのはあとちょっと。
Only a little time left to watch a movie at Marunouchi TOEI.
Uino
It closes on July 27, 2025, so there’s still time! The theater opened in September 1960, so it will close just a little before its 65th anniversary. I have already booked my ticket!
Ogikubo
This is a good opportunity to feel the difference between a classic movie theater from the golden age of film and today’s multiplexes. Where else can you watch the latest movies using the latest tech—inside a 65-year-old movie theater?

Modern architecture featuring cutting-edge technology design and old prewar buildings are fascinating in their own right, but there’s a unique richness in the buildings from Japan’s high-growth era that could only be created then. I hope that many people have a chance to enjoy the building before it closes.

The “Sayonara Marunouchi TOEI” project has been launched, featuring a variety of special screenings. For details, please visit:
https://marunouchi-toei-sayonara0727.jp/