By day, Shimbashi is nothing special. At night, however, salarymen from the surrounding areas flock here for quick meals and cheap beer. Small bars pop up everywhere, and fast food joints do a roaring trade. The air is thick with cigarette smoke, and a feeling of desperation, as hundreds of salarymen try to forget their day in the office and down one final beer before last train.
- 1 min read
Shimbashi
The salaryman's playground
![Hannah Warren Hannah Warren](https://a2.cdn.japantravel.com/photo/u/913/240x240!/565e87c967ba810c868b61f9.jpg)
Community writer
![Fast cars](https://a0.cdn.japantravel.com/photo/6885-48952/1000/tokyo-shimbashi-48952.jpg)
Fast cars
![The main strip: salarymen and neon lights](https://a3.cdn.japantravel.com/photo/6885-48951/1000/tokyo-shimbashi-48951.jpg)
The main strip: salarymen and neon lights
![Trains rushing through](https://a2.cdn.japantravel.com/photo/6885-48950/1000/tokyo-shimbashi-48950.jpg)
Trains rushing through
![No stars above Shimbashi](https://a3.cdn.japantravel.com/photo/6885-48946/1000/tokyo-shimbashi-48946.jpg)
No stars above Shimbashi
![Little bars pop up everywhere after dark](https://a2.cdn.japantravel.com/photo/6885-48941/1000/tokyo-shimbashi-48941.jpg)
Little bars pop up everywhere after dark
![Grabbing some quick food](https://a1.cdn.japantravel.com/photo/6885-48944/1000/tokyo-shimbashi-48944.jpg)
Grabbing some quick food
![So many options!](https://a3.cdn.japantravel.com/photo/6885-48942/1000/tokyo-shimbashi-48942.jpg)
So many options!
![Lonely salaryman](https://a0.cdn.japantravel.com/photo/6885-48943/1000/tokyo-shimbashi-48943.jpg)
Lonely salaryman
![Everyone's got somewhere to go](https://a2.cdn.japantravel.com/photo/6885-48945/1000/tokyo-shimbashi-48945.jpg)
Everyone's got somewhere to go
![Even the side streets are neon](https://a1.cdn.japantravel.com/photo/6885-48948/1000/tokyo-shimbashi-48948.jpg)
Even the side streets are neon
![This steam engine seemed strangely out of place](https://a2.cdn.japantravel.com/photo/6885-48949/1000/tokyo-shimbashi-48949.jpg)
This steam engine seemed strangely out of place
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solomon xiong
4 months ago
wow, so many people travel to japan
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