Taking the Yurakucho Line from Ikebukuro to Iidabashi, then transferring to the Oedo Line and riding to “Tochomae” in Shinjuku, I’m doing this just to give the kids a taste of dining at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building cafeteria, following in the footsteps of Tokyo civil servants.
Shinjuku Metropolitan Government Building serves as Tokyo’s administrative hub, surrounded by skyscrapers housing major corporations.
In the morning, I took the kids to the Tokyo Culture Experience Station on the ground floor, where they could freely immerse themselves in traditional and modern Japanese activities like origami and crafts.
Kids can really spend a lot of time here. If you’re not in a rush, it’s worth staying half a day. Especially during Tokyo’s hot summers in recent years, this place serves not only as offices for Tokyo Metropolitan Government employees but also as a diverse cultural experience center for Japan.
There are observation decks on the north and south sides of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, but they’re not open to the public every day. Today, we were lucky to find out that the north observation deck was open to the general public, so we didn’t hesitate and headed there right away.
After taking the elevator, we stepped out onto the outdoor walkway and made our way to the adjacent building.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building consists of three interconnected buildings, each with its own staff cafeteria located on different floors. As we moved from the first building to the second, we discovered that the cafeteria on the fourth floor of this building was open to the public today.
On the second floor, there’s a Tully’s Coffee shop. They also offer delicious pasta sets for lunch.
As we turned the corner to head towards the cafeteria, we immediately saw this. Sure enough, we had to fill out a visitor record in order to apply for this.
Every visitor, regardless of age or gender, needs to apply for a temporary pass.
You need this ID to swipe in, and remember to return it when leaving.
The employee cafeteria at Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is well explained in this introductory map, covering both its location and layout clearly. It even illustrates the ordering process step by step.
We first choose the meal we want to eat, but how do we choose?
Don’t worry! The display window is filled with “samples” and “variations” for everyone to choose from, just like in a Japanese restaurant.
This is the most popular Japanese hamburger steak set. I couldn’t believe my eyes, it’s only 500 yen for a set! And it’s sold out !
This freshly grilled white fish/sole set comes with fragrant steamed rice and rich, golden scrambled eggs served underneath the grilled fish.
The steamed rice is topped with plenty of grilled pork slices, accompanied by a bowl of curry udon noodles and seaweed miso soup.
The “Nutrition Board of the Week” also provides periodic updates with seasonal and thematic nutritional recommendations.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government cafeteria is operated by a team of professional nutritionists who design different menus every week based on seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Purchase food vouchers. For friends who can’t read Japanese, just remember the numbers of the dishes displayed in the showcase. Then, line up and follow the order number to pick up your food.
Hao’s favorite is ramen.
It’s really delicious, just like the most authentic soy sauce-flavored ramen in Japan.
How interesting! We’re sitting in the spacious and comfortable seating area of the Shinjuku Metropolitan Government employee cafeteria, dining alongside government officials.
They also offer a variety of delicious hot and cold beverages, especially hand-drip coffee made from premium Arabica coffee beans.
They also offer a variety of savory bread options, such as Frankfurt hot dogs and French cheese and vegetable rolls.
The sweet bread options include cheesecake, apple pie, cantaloupe pineapple, traditional red bean bread, and more.
The variety of cold drinks is extensive, resembling a large convenience store with so many options to choose from.
Perfect for those on the go looking for a light meal.
Purchased almond tofu for a snack later at Yoyogi Park.
Here, you can easily spend almost a whole day. After experiencing the Tokyo staff canteen with the kids, you can head to the 45th floor of another building to overlook the entire Tokyo city area.
