The commercial facility KITTE, which opened in March at the Marunouchi South Exit of Tokyo Station, is bustling. It occupies the B1–6F portion of JP Tower, built on the site of Tokyo Central Post Office. KITTE expresses the wish to connect various people, things, and events — named from "stamp" (kitte), linked to the original post office, and "please come" (kite). Ninety-eight shops and restaurants are open.
JP Tower is a 38-story above-ground, 4-story underground office building. Standard floors are 900 tsubo; at 200 meters it is a large facility. Developers are Japan Post Holdings, East Japan Railway Company, and Mitsubishi Estate — three companies. With base isolation and a direct underground link to Tokyo Station, it boasts excellent access.
The Tokyo Central Post Office building was famous as a symbol of modernist architecture. Early in construction of the new building, the then Minister of Internal Affairs (postal affairs) complained, "Why aren't you preserving the original building?" causing a stir. The solution was to reflect the original building's form in the new design — but that added time and cost.
In fact, the then minister was the younger brother of a politician who received allowance from Mama — and he received allowance too. From childhood his hobby was stamp collecting; whenever commemorative stamps were issued, the former prime minister — his grandfather — took him to Tokyo Central Post Office. Of course in a large black car... So he had an unusual attachment to Tokyo Central Post Office — said to be the distant cause of the fuss.
That may remain in people's memory: KITTE draws not only Marunouchi office workers but many seniors as well. That commotion seems to have had publicity value too.
Besides offices and retail, JP Tower also houses an international business and tourism information center, an international academic and cultural museum, and an international conference center. From Palaceside Building, one stop on the Tozai subway line to Otemachi, then a five-minute walk.