Shimbashi’s railway story began in 1872, when Japan’s first passenger line linked the district with Yokohama. The station area still mixes commuter movement with eateries beneath railway tracks, joining national infrastructure to daily urban life.
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The trains overhead are part of a much longer story: Shimbashi was the Tokyo starting point for Japan’s first railway, opened in 1872 on the line to Yokohama. The district grew around the station as rail travel connected the capital with other parts of the country.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- The original Shimbashi-to-Yokohama railway covered 28.8 kilometres.
- Shimbashi Station became a freight terminal in 1914.
- Remains of the original station were found during excavations in 1991.
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