Have you noticed the recent changes around Yurakucho Station? As fancy new cafes and restaurants pop up one after another, the tiny old izakaya under the railroad tracks, with their red paper lanterns, are gradually disappearing.
This shift is part of the so-called Yurakucho Project sponsored by East Japan Railways. Two years ago, JR East asked its affiliated companies to come up with a makeover plan for the station area. Out of the 12 competing groups, Tetsudo Kaikan Co. won with its daring proposal -- a 900-sq.-meter Spanish bar and restaurant.
With its fresh white walls, Guino Guino, which opened in March, stands in chic contrast to the grimy Yamanote Line running overhead. It's hard to imagine that the place used to be a warehouse.