Starbucks Stamp Uncle: Starbucks Hopping in the Salaryman's Mecca!? Shimbashi/Shiodome Expedition Report

What comes to mind when you hear "Shimbashi"?
Beer, yakitori, red lanterns...
And "Shiodome" brings to mind a business district
lined with modern skyscrapers.

—But for me, I only see Starbucks.
Yes, the salaryman's mecca is, for a Stamp Uncle, a "Starbucks mecca" indeed.

—

NTV Plaza Store (A certain Saturday in August 2025, past 3 PM)

The stage this time is Shiodome.
A Starbucks on the 2nd floor of the Nippon Television Tower.

The Yurikamome line dashes dashingly in front of the glittering, glass-walled building.

Ordinary tourists might think, "I wonder if I'll meet a celebrity?"
But the Stamp Uncle is seriously checking if the chairs at the computer seats are wooden.
• Computer seats: 8 (and they're wooden chairs; the type that puts your lower back to the test)
• Sofa seats: 12 (a winning position where a battle for seats is inevitable)
• Wooden tables/chairs: 20 (for the masses, a style that relies on sheer numbers)

When I entered right at 3 PM, there were plenty of empty seats.
I let my guard down thinking, "It's a relaxing coffee kind of day," but by 3:30 PM, it was almost full.
As expected of NTV, a seat-grabbing battle more dramatic than any TV drama is unfolding.

—
Starbucks Shiodome City Center Store

A luxurious, glass-walled space in a corner of the high-rise office district.

Since it's the weekend, it's overwhelmingly young women hanging out with friends. The Stamp Uncle feels like he's been reincarnated into a different world all by himself. So, I got chicken 🍗 to go.

- Center of the store: Counter

• Seating information
- Right side of the store: About 20 seats with power outlets at a sturdy large table. A mecca for the remote work crowd.
Because a long counter runs through the middle, it's comfortable for both solo customers and groups.

- Left side of the store: About 30 seats in a face-to-face style.

"There may be no office for me in this tower, but a Stamp Tower has been built in my heart."
Leaving behind such a mysterious poem, I dashed out of the store.

—

JR Shimbashi Station Ginza Exit Store (A certain Tuesday in March 2024)

Andlooking back at my past stamp history... I had already visited one store in Shimbashi.
That is the Ginza Exit store right by JR Shimbashi Station.
It doesn't have many seats, but I got takeout due to its location near the station.

I had stopped by here as a prelude before going to a bar.
"Why have coffee right before drinking beer?"
It's a mystery even to me, but it's interesting that even such habits are recorded in my stamps.

—

Conclusion: Shimbashi/Shiodome is not a "bar district" but a "Starbucks district"

Normal people drink in Shimbashi on their way home from work.
But the Stamp Uncle goes Starbucks hopping on his way home from work.
And on the weekend, just by extending your trip to Shiodome, you can surprisingly relax and unwind.
Shimbashi, the salaryman's mecca, was, for the Stamp Uncle, a Starbucks mecca.

—

👉Next time, I might even turn your town into a "Stamp Town".