1.
Shinagawa; the business district and shinkansen gateway in southern Tokyo
A ward and station area in southern Tokyo. Since the Tokaido Shinkansen began stopping there in 2003 it has become the standard departure point for business trips west, and the office towers around the station make it one of the city's main corporate districts.
Common expressions
- 品川駅: Shinagawa Station, where the shinkansen, Yamanote Line, and Keikyu airport line meet
- 品川ナンバー: the Shinagawa licence-plate code, once a status symbol for central-Tokyo drivers
- 品川宿: Shinagawa-juku, the historic first post town on the Tokaido
- 品川勤務: working at a Shinagawa office
Cultural note
Unlike 渋谷 or 池袋, 品川 carries a businesslike rather than a nightlife image — suits, hotels, and conference rooms. Note that Shinagawa Station is actually in Minato Ward, a piece of trivia Japanese speakers enjoy pointing out.