The Shimbashi area is one of Tokyo's central business districts.

It's also home to a time-honored geisha tradition

with roots in the mid-19th century.

And with streets lined with inexpensive Japanese-style izakaya pubs,

it's a drinker's paradise.

I feel relaxed when I'm in Shimbashi. I love it here.

Japan's first railway opened here 150 years ago,

and the neighborhood flourished as a hub of culture and commerce.

Today we dive into Shimbashi,

a bustling commercial area with echoes of old Tokyo.

"Dive in Tokyo"
Shimbashi - A Junction of Old & New

Shimbashi is located to the south of the Imperial Palace.

It's a short distance from Japan's central government offices,

as well as the Ginza shopping district.

Hi. How are you doing? I'm Michael Keida,

and here we are in Shimbashi. Now,

if you look behind me, you can see this road is lined with different restaurants and bars.

Michael Keida is an actor from New York who's been living in Japan since 2006.

Michael actually used to run a bar in this neighborhood.

The many fond memories he shared with his customers

made him a Shimbashi fan for life.

(Michael's old bar in Shimbashi)

Now it's still morning so nothing is open,

but when you come to Shimbashi, it's really amazing how many different restaurants there are.

Let's take a look down here.

So as you can see down this road as well,

lots of different restaurants, bars, izakaya lining it.

Come sundown, these streets turn into a glittering entertainment district.

Office workers come here after a hard day's work

to have drinks with their colleagues and reset for the coming day.

All right, I'm standing in front of Shimbashi Station.

And as you can see behind me, there's a steam locomotive.

Apparently, there's a connection between Shimbashi and this locomotive

that exists in history.

This area's railway roots go back roughly 150 years.

Japan's first train line opened here in 1872.

(Old Shimbashi Station)

A 29-kilometer stretch of track connected Shimbashi to the port city of Yokohama.

As a center of trade,

Yokohama had become a doorway to Japan for foreign technology and culture.

And the railway carried those modern influences up to Shimbashi.

Back then, the station was located about 300 meters east of where it currently sits.

Hello.

This is Baba Nao,

the curator of the Old Shimbashi Station.

Shimbashi was the Tokyo terminal for Japan's first railway.

This facility is a faithful reproduction of the original station.

What's that down there?

The first step from the stairs of the original station.

Archaeological excavations conducted 30 years ago

unearthed the bottom step of this staircase.

It became a reference point from which the station was reconstructed,

using old photographs as a guide.

This building doesn't look very Japanese.

What's the history behind this?

At the time, Japan as a nation was attempting to westernize.

They invited train experts mainly from Britain but also the U.S.

and built the railway under their guidance.

That influenced the style of this building.

We head to the back of the building.

Here we've reconstructed the railway platform and tracks.

And this post marks "mile zero," where the tracks began.

This would've led to Yokohama.

So this is pointed to Yokohama.

Yokohama is that way?

Most Japanese people had never seen a locomotive before.

It's said that on opening day, people filled the streets.

They wanted to catch a glimpse of the train.

They were curious to see what it was all about.

Before the railway was built, it was a 10-hour trip on foot.

It basically took an entire day.

But the train could make the trip in less than an hour.

So this was an incredible invention for the time.

So, why do you think it was that

Shimbashi was the first place to start the train?

Feudal lords lived Here in the Edo period.

Then in the Meiji period this became government-owned land.

They likely chose this area because they could secure a lot of space.

After the collapse of the Edo shogunate,

the mansions of the feudal lords were torn down,

and Shimbashi Station was built in their place.

(Map of Shimbashi Terminal)

In addition to the station building and platform,

they built a locomotive depot, a storehouse for coal,

and other maintenance facilities.

The station led to the introduction of further railway innovations from overseas.

Shimbashi is some distance from what was considered downtown Tokyo at the time,

the Nihonbashi and Kanda neighborhoods.

So once passengers disembarked at the station,

many had to transfer to a rickshaw or horse-drawn streetcar.

The closer you got to downtown,

the more densely packed the buildings, and the less room for a railway.

With the help of German architects,

a red-brick viaduct was built to support elevated tracks.

Nearly 40 years after the first railway opened,

the train was connected to the heart of the city.

Those archways are still being used today.

It's great to see this original building here,

you know, probably from the older "tetsudo (railway)."

It's beautiful.

The space under the tracks has been renovated,

and is now home to a wide range of shops and restaurants.

The historic red brick archways have managed to survive major natural disasters

and air raids largely intact.

It's great. You can hear the trains running above.

We're right below them in this hundred-year-old-plus structure.

It's been decorated in such a modern way. This is just incredible.

The century-old viaduct continues to live on

as part of current-day Shimbashi Station.

The opening of the railway is also said to have inspired the creation of new food culture.

Namely, a beef hot pot that would later come to be known as sukiyaki.

One restaurant in Shimbashi has been serving the iconic dish for 130 years.

In 1872, the first train line opened between Shimbashi and Yokohama.

Ships would arrive at Yokohama and visitors would come to Shimbashi.

It was the gateway to Tokyo.

So this "gyunabe" restaurant was opened by the station.

Gyunabe is beef stewed with miso and other ingredients.

The dish formed the basis for what became sukiyaki.

For a long time, Japanese people were discouraged from eating beef

through government policy and the influence of Buddhism,

which forbids the killing of animals.

But as Japan entered a period of modernization,

the government began actively promoting the consumption of beef

in order to help Japanese people build strong physiques

similar to their western counterparts.

Gyunabe was conceived as a way to make beef more palatable for Japanese tastes.

It quickly became very popular.

Records indicate that there were 550 gyunabe restaurants in Tokyo.

The dish sparked a massive craze.

Over the years, different seasonings, vegetables, and better cuts of meat were added,

eventually evolving into the dish we know as sukiyaki.

Next, we head to the nearby Ginza area,

where there's a historical site that can tell us about how Shimbashi got its name.

So Shimbashi, a very common place in Tokyo,

but the name itself actually means "new bridge."

And why was it "new bridge"? Our answer is right here.

So this actually represents there used to be a large bridge here

spanning a river, which of course, now you can't see.

But that's where the name "Shimbashi" came from.

A river once flowed through here,

and the Edo shogunate built Shimbashi bridge over it in the early 17th century.

As businesses began to pop up around it,

the name came to refer to the neighborhood as a whole.

There's another nearby spot that speaks to Shimbashi's prosperous past.

A theater that was founded a century ago.

Every May, it hosts a traditional dance festival called Azuma Odori.

The event features performances by Shimbashi geisha.

Geisha are professional entertainers

who bring a touch of elegance to private dinner parties

through traditional dance, music and song.

Shimbashi actually has a long geisha tradition going back to the mid-19th century.

Hello.

Hello. I'm Kokimi.

Kokimi is a veteran geisha with an illustrious career.

She now plays a managerial role for the Shimbashi geisha.

Why did Shimbashi flourish as a geisha district?

In the Edo period this area was the shogunate's territory.

But in the mid-19th century,

it became a favorite hangout for the Satsuma and Choshu clans.

With the Meiji Restoration, they assumed roles in government.

When the last shogun of the Edo shogunate resigned from his post,

forces from western Japan led by the Satsuma and Choshu clans

moved to Tokyo to establish a new government.

The new officials would set Japan down the path to modernization.

But as they were unfamiliar with the customs and etiquette of old Tokyo,

they were given the cold shoulder in the city's traditional geisha quarters.

But the Shimbashi geisha welcomed them.

Over time, Shimbashi's geisha district

became a glamorous social hub for political, business and cultural figures.

Among them was Nobel Prize-winning novelist Kawabata Yasunari.

Such was his devotion that he even penned an original script

for the Shimbashi geisha to perform on stage.

(Handwritten script by Kawabata)

Michael heads to a building where some geisha are rehearsing

for their upcoming dance performance.

There are three schools of traditional dance taught in Shimbashi.

The Azuma Odori is an opportunity for them to collaborate.

Try to rotate your fan in one smooth motion.

Azuma Odori is the annual showcase for Shimbashi geisha.

So they give it their all.

They rehearse for about two months.

It's a very special performance.

Wow, that was great! Just watching them practice, I was really moved by it.

I can't imagine what the real performance would look like. Can't wait to see it.

Next, Michael visits a restaurant that serves a drink inspired by the Shimbashi geisha.

Here is our Shimbashi-color ice cream float.

It's beautiful.

So what does this distinctive turquoise-blue color

have to do with the Shimbashi geisha?

Back then, the Shimbashi geisha loved to wear blue-green kimono.

So we made this ice cream float in their honor.

During the Meiji era, chemical dyes were introduced to Japan from the West,

leading to the creation of new colors.

The fashion-savvy Shimbashi geisha were quick to incorporate this color into their wardrobe,

and so it came to be known as "Shimbashi color."

It's beautiful.

Oh, that's great.

Fast-forward to the second half of the 20th century.

As Japan underwent a post-war economic miracle,

Shimbashi became a popular spot for Tokyo's corporate workforce.

So how did the neighborhood become a haven for salarymen?

They say Shimbashi is a salaryman district.

Why is that?

Because there are many cheap places to drink.

Because it's a hub for the transportation.

You know, subway lines or JR lines pass through this station.

So it's very convenient.

- So it's easy for salarymen to...
- Right.

You can see there are many salarymen.

Many companies have offices here.

With seven train lines running through the station,

including the Yurikamome,

Shimbashi is a major transportation hub.

And a series of high-rise commercial developments

led to an influx of businesses,

and in turn, a legion of salarymen.

After work, those workers flock to inexpensive local drinking establishments.

And that's why the neighborhood is now considered a salaryman sanctuary.

Across from the station is a building with an old-school facade

that can tell us more about Shimbashi's history as a drinking district.

At the entrance is a large statue of a "tanuki,"

a Japanese raccoon dog.

Hello.

I'm Michael.

Nice to meet you!

Kawada Keiko runs a real estate company,

and also manages this building's commercial tenants.

This really drew my attention.

Why is there such a big tanuki in front of the building here?

This is the symbol of this area.

That's why the tanuki is here.

Okay.

This is Tanuki Koji (Alley) built after the Second World War.

Oh, this was built after WW II in this area?

In this area.

When World War II came to an end,

the Shimbashi Station area had been completely deserted.

But the railway made it easy for food and supplies to be brought in from the countryside,

and soon a black market sprang up in the open space.

As reconstruction progressed,

clusters of crudely built back-alley bars began to develop.

One of them was Tanuki Alley.

It's said that in the evenings, workers came pouring into these tight quarters.

In the '60s, as Japanese society became more affluent,

Tanuki Alley was displaced by a new commercial building.

Some of the old bars opted to move in.

And the tanuki statue was made to commemorate the old drinking alley.

Michael heads inside to explore.

Wow, this smells... There's, so many different aromas mixing in here.

Oh, you got this old cafe.

There's a section of the basement that evokes Tanuki Alley

with bars and restaurants packed along a narrow corridor.

I've stepped into the past in here. Wow.

Look at this.

Just look at how small... Look how small this space is.

Good evening.

It seems this establishment has caught Michael's attention.

So what's this place about?

The walls are filled with railway destination plates and other signage.

The train-themed decor is fitting given Shimbashi's history as a transportation hub.

Who's your clientele?

We get a lot of rail buffs.

They come to talk trains with each other.

How about you—are you a train guy?

Yes, I am.

Tell me something interesting about trains.

You're putting me on the spot!

They say the distance between bullet train tracks...

is derived from Ancient Roman chariots.

When they went down the road, the wheels made ruts.

Their spacing matches the track gauge of bullet trains.

Whoa. I had no idea!

Same!

How's Shimbashi?

Shimbashi is full of great people.

They're great company. It's a joy to work here.

This train-themed bar actually has a sister store.

It's located in another building a short walk away.

Inside is a tight array of shelves filled to the brim with train collectibles.

Model trains,

railway hats,

hand straps.

Here's a customer carefully sifting through some trays full of old tickets.

These days these hard tickets are considered somewhat precious.

I come here from time to time because I'm a collector.

Overseas visitors like to buy items like these.

To this day, Shimbashi continues to remain true to its railway roots.

Back in the building with the tanuki statue,

Michael pays a visit to a bar that's been open for close to half a century.

Good evening.

May I sit down?

Be my guest!

This is quite the place!

Compact, isn't it?

Nice and cozy. It's relaxing.

How long have you been in business?

Quite a while. 45 years.

45 years?

So you opened this place when you were in grade school?

You bet!

Wow!

I'm actually 81.

- 81?
- I am indeed.

You don't look it. Your complexion is great!

When Ishiwatari first opened this bar here in Shimbashi,

she had no prior restaurant experience.

She says she was only able to come this far

thanks to her kind and considerate customers.

Shimbashi is a great place.

Above ground it's the big city. But down here it feels like home.

So out there, customers endure the grind.

But they say when they come here they feel at ease. They can relax.

I actually used to run a bar on the other side of the station.

I found the people that come here to be very courteous.

So I had a lot of fun.

My customers would invite me to go drinking.

Shimbashi is the kind of place where people mingle.

I'll have customers here who don't know each other.

But they end up exchanging contact info. They connect.

That's Shimbashi.

As day turns to night,

office workers begin to swing by on their way home from work.

And Michael makes some new friends.

How's Shimbashi?

I feel at ease here. Especially in this area.

This is my favorite neighborhood.

You can experience the culture of the good old days.

Quaint and nostalgic.

It's an intimate atmosphere.

Modest chairs, close quarters...

And the counter seating!

Japan's postwar economic recovery

was powered by its famously hardworking salarymen.

Even today, Shimbashi continues to be an oasis for businesspeople.

I personally have a lot of history with Shimbashi.

But I never realized how much history was in Shimbashi itself.

And I think it stems from the part "shin" in Shimbashi meaning "new."

It's a place for new beginnings.

A place for new connections to happen.

And from that, you find that, you know,

wherever you come from, you're welcome.

Whatever your color is, you're welcome.

Such a unique and heart-warming place right in the center of Tokyo.