Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Nihonbashi hotels

Nihonbashi is a business district in Central Tokyo that sits on both sides of the Nihonbashi River. It is a prestigious area that is home to a number of corporate head offices and top notch hotels, like the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi and the Palace Hotel Tokyo.

Nihonbashi Bridge is an icon of the area, was designed by Japanese architect Tsumaki Yorinaka and constructed in 1911. The bridge is home to Japan’s Kilometre Zero, with posts and monuments indicating where this point is. Nihonbashi Boarding Dock is not far from the bridge and has riverboats that take travellers on cruises along the river, stopping at a number of sights along the way.

The 192-metre high Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower displays the modern side of the area, with the luxury Mandarin Oriental Tokyo occupying the top floors of the 34-storey skyscraper. Not far away is the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which is the world’s fourth largest stock exchange and features an observation facility where visitors can go to watch all of the action.

Those interested in culture and history should visit the Mitsui Memorial Museum that displays the famous family’s fine collection of art and craft pieces, some of which date back over 300 years. Bridgestone Museum of Art features European modern art, with an emphasis on impressionism and 20th century art.

There is a great selection of Japanese restaurants in Nihonbashi, many of which serve washuko, which is a set meal of rice, miso soup and a few other dishes. There are not a lot of international restaurants in the area apart from at some of the more upmarket hotels, like The Tokyo Station Hotel. There are some Japanese-style bars in the area as well as British and Irish pubs, like the one at the Royal Park Hotel, but those visitors that want more drinking options should take the metro or a taxi to neighbouring Ginza.

International department store Mitsukoshi’s main flagship sits in the heart of Nihonbashi. There are also plenty of traditional crafts shops in the area, as well as other flashy department stores like Takashimaya.