Yurakucho

What to know

Yurakucho (有楽町) is a lively district just one stop south of Tokyo Station on the JR Yamanote Line. Alongside the upscale Ginza area, it offers abundant shopping and dining, but with a more relaxed, down-to-earth vibe. Parts of Yurakucho still retain a charming, old-town atmosphere.

One of Yurakucho's biggest draws is the vibrant restaurant strip beneath the elevated JR Yamanote Line tracks. Known locally as Gado-shita ("under the girder"), these popular watering holes for Tokyo businessmen occupy nearly all the free space under about 700 meters of track on both sides of Yurakucho Station.

The restaurants stretch a few hundred meters north and south of the station, extending almost to Tokyo Station in the neighboring Marunouchi district. Most face the west side of the tracks, but there is also a good selection on the east side south of the station. In warmer months, some restaurants open onto the street with outdoor seating.

Many of these track-side eateries are authentic izakaya and yakitori joints where you can grab a cold beer and casual bites. But you'll also find a wide range of other dining options, including elegant French wine bars, Italian restaurants, and German beer halls, especially around the slightly more upscale northwestern side of Yurakucho Station.

The area east of Yurakucho Station serves as the gateway to Ginza. It was renovated a few years ago and now features a pedestrian-friendly plaza surrounded by shopping complexes like ITOCiA, Hankyu Men's (a men's department store), and a Lumine department store.

The west side is best known for the Tokyo International Forum, an architectural landmark hosting conventions, exhibitions, concerts, and events, as well as one of Tokyo's largest Bic Camera electronics stores, with eight floors of the latest gadgets.