Kyoto Station is a major railway station and transportation hub in Kyoto and was first opened for service by decree of Emperor Meiji on February 5, 1877. In its futuristic current iteration, which opened in 1997 to commemorate Kyoto's 1,200th anniversary, it has Japan's second-largest station building and at 15 stories and a total floor area of 238,000 square meters, is one of the country's largest buildings. It houses a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, department store, and several local government facilities.