Shiodome (汐留) is a recently redeveloped city district in Tokyo, which opened to the public in 2002. Its spectacular skyscrapers accommodate many offices, the headquarters of Nippon Television and a large variety of shops, cafes, restaurants, theaters, hotels and other attractions.
Shiodome was originally a tidal marshland separating the Imperial Palace from Tokyo Bay. During the Edo Period (1603-1867), the marshes were dried up and developed into residential land for feudal lords. The district's history remains reflected in the name Shiodome, which literally means "halt the tides".
In 1872, Shiodome was chosen as the site of Shimbashi Station, the Tokyo terminal of Japan's first railway line. When the railway tracks were later extended to Tokyo Station, Shimbashi Station was moved to its current location and Shiodome converted into a freight yard, which it remained into the 1980s. Today the district features modern city planning with divided motorized and pedestrian traffic on different levels, and elevated walkways and underground passages that connect most of the buildings.
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| Caretta Shiodome |
Hours: Varies by store (typically 10:00 to 20:00)
Restaurants: Varies by restaurant (typically 11:30 to 23:00)
Closed: No closing days |
| Caretta Shiodome is a shopping, dining and entertainment complex, located in the elegant 51-story Dentsu Building, the headquarters of Japan's leading advertising company Dentsu. Caretta features a musical theater, a museum on advertising and a range of shops andrestaurants, including the "sky restaurants" on the building's top floors. |
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| Shiodome City Center |
Hours: Varies by store (typically 10:00 to 20:00)
Restaurants: Varies by restaurant (typically 11:00 to 23:30)
Closed: No closing days |
| Shiodome City Center is a 42 floor office building that is headquarters to some major Japanese companies such as All Nippon Airways and Fujitsu. The building's lower floors are filled with shops and restaurants while the top two floors house elegant restaurants with beautiful views over Tokyo. |
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| Nippon TV Tower |
Hours: Varies by store (typically 10:00 to 19:00)
Restaurants: Varies by restaurant (typically 10:00 to 21:00)
Closed: No closing days |
| Nippon Television Tower (Nittele Tower) is the headquarters of Nippon Television, one of Japan's private, nationwide television networks, and home to programs such as the Anpanman cartoons. A NTV goods shop and an Anpanman shop are found here along with a few restaurants and cafes. |
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| Italian Town |
| Italian Town is made up of a couple of city blocks on the opposite side of the train tracks from the rest of Shiodome. Vaguely resembling an Italian neighborhood, the district is home to a number of restaurants, cafes and small shops and fashion boutiques, as well as Wins Shiodome, a modern facility for off-track horse race betting. |
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| Hama Rikyu (more details) |
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (entry until 16:30)
Closed: December 29 to January 1
Admission: 300 yen |
| Located just next to Shiodome, Hama Rikyu is one of Tokyo's most attractive landscape gardens, formerly part of a feudal lord's residence. As the garden is located alongside Tokyo Bay, its ponds are filled with sea water and change level with the tides. The garden also features former duck hunting grounds, forested areas and a teahouse. |
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Museums and Showrooms
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| Former Shimbashi Station Building |
Hours: 10:00 to 17:00 (entry until 16:45)
Closed: Mondays (or Tuesday if Monday is a national holiday), New Year holidays
Admission: Free |
| Shiodome was the site of the Tokyo terminal of Japan's first railwayline, which was opened in 1872 between Tokyo and Yokohama. A replica of the former station building and platform stands next to theShiodome City Center. It houses a small museum about the history of the station and Shiodome in general with English explanations. |
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| Advertising Museum |
Hours: 11:00 to 18:30 (Weekends and holidays until 16:30)
Closed: Mondays (or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday) and irregular closures
Admission: Free |
| Located at the headquarters of Dentsu, Japan's leading advertising company, the Advertising Museum has a permanent exhibit on the history of advertising in Japan dating back to the Edo Period. There are also temporary exhibits which are frequently rotated. |
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| Panasonic Living Showroom |
Hours: 10:00 to 17:00 (from 9:30 weekends and public holidays). Entry until 16:00
Closed: Wednesdays (except public holidays), Obon and New Year
Admission: Free |
| Panasonic is one of Japan's leading producers not only of electronic appliances but also of home interior products such as sinks, faucets, bathtubs, toilets, counters, doors and entire kitchens, living rooms and bathrooms. The Tokyo showroom in Shiodome showcases the company's home interior products on multiple floors. |
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| Pokemon Center Tokyo |
Hours: 11:00 to 20:00 (weekends and public holidays 10:00 to 19:00)
Closed: Irregular closing days
Admission: Free |
| The Pokemon Center is a store where you can buy all things Pokemon like trading cards, stationary, toys and games, including some exclusive items not available elsewhere. There is a separate room for battling and trading Pokemon with other customers. |
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