Kabutocho

Kabutocho is synonimous with Tokyo Stock Exchange. It is a fifteen minutes’ walk from Tokyo Station to the east, just beyond Nihon-bashi.

During 20th century, Kabutocho was without doubt “the financial center of Japan”. Around Tokyo Stock Exchange building, plenty of stock brokers had their offices . In 1980s and 1990s this area was said to be one of “the three financial centers of the world” with Wall Street in New York and the City of London. But after that two waves eclipsed this area: one wave was China’s rapid growth , another wave was electronic settlement which does not need real offices.

Still, this area has many offices of banks and stock brokers . You can see many businesspeople looking for restaurants at noon and in the evening. They seem brighter now the economy is going back to normal.