Forget izakaya, soba restaurants and divey Chinese eateries — if you really want to see salarymen in mass munching mode, catch them in their natural habitat at the office shokudō (cafeteria), where colleagues rub shoulders daily over a tray of freshly made rations. Besides delivering sustenance to the world’s busiest worker bees, the spots featured here all offer a little something extra. (The icon indicates venues open to the public.)
Many visitors to Tokyo make a point of stopping by the observation deck at City Hall in Nishi-Shinjuku. Very few of them stay for lunch. That’s a shame, because the corporate cafeteria on the 32nd floor of the TMG’s No. 1 Building is open to the public, and it offers much the same view. Bonus: Each Wednesday, a chef from the Hotel New Otani stops by to prepare a classic beef curry dish. www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/TMG/outline.htm.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.