A guide to eating in Tokyo Station. By Vincent.
May 26, 2025
Beneath Tokyo Station lies an underground food metropolis, Gransta. A labyrinth of restaurants, vendors and stores that would’ve kept me walking in circles, if it weren’t for my Shinkansen ticket.
Rows upon rows of food stores, sleek restaurants and artisan snacks. I was in awe as I walked past each shop - eyes and stomach hunting for my next meal.
GRANSTA is Tokyo Station’s sprawling underground shopping and food hub, tucked beneath the platforms. Originally opened in 2007, it’s grown into a behemoth of a mall. It’s not just konbini - it’s a destination.
An unsuspecting food tour awaited me on this particular morning. With 2 hours to kill before my Shinkansen to Ii-yama, I decided to see how much I could squeeze in before take off.
On one of the floors were the bentos - sitting there invitingly, laid out with care, and ready for mid-shinkansen consumption. But I had 2 hours, enough time to take a seat for something fresh.
There was a bit of everything as I strolled around the GRANSTA maze - ramen, ricebowls, chinese, italian, dumplings, you name it. But one dish caught my eye in particular: Tacos.
I’m a sucker for a good taco, so couldn’t resist tasting the Japanese take on this Mexican staple. The menu was simple: pork, chicken or beef. I took them all.
They delivered.
Bright yellow corn tortillas, succulent slow-cooked meats balanced with an assortment of herbs and tangy pickled vegies. Simple, clean, excellent.
5/5 vibes
After devouring the tacos, I still had an hour left to kill - and I wasn’t about to just sit around. So I went for another little wander, before deciding upon the store directly opposite the tacos, a dumpling shop. I stared at the “New Recommend” menu, going with the dumplings made the most sense.
Steamed Squid Shumai w/ Sea Urchin
Bit of a miss. Lacking in flavour, dry. The original is better.
Homemade Wonton.Yum. Worth it.
And that was that. My morning food adventure beneath the tracks of Tokyo station, time well spent.
11:50am - dumplings (below)
From other trips through Tokyo station (it is inevitable) - I’ve listed some other notable spots from my eating journey.
うなぎ成田新川 東京駅店(https://g.co/kgs/tqYrUow)
The best bowl of unagi and rice I’d ever consumed. Also the most expensive bowl of unagi I’d purchased (~$40 AUD), there were more premium options even going up to $60-70. Perhaps for another time.
The eel was melt-in-mouth, rich in umami from the particular glaze they used. Every bite, a moment in time.
Go. Here.
Across from the Unagi Bowl
Chinese noodles and dumplings
The Xiao Long Bao and Shu Mai here were quality.
