TOKYO -- Little did Dutch sailor Jan Joosten imagine that 400 years later the location of his house would become one of the busiest, coolest underground malls in Tokyo.

In the early 1600s, Joosten, who drifted to Japan after a storm wrecked his ship, was given a house there by Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa. Today, 150,000 people on business and travel pass by daily. Welcome to Yaesu Shopping Mall, right under Tokyo Station.

The word "Yaesu" originates from how Jan Joosten was pronounced by the locals of that era. "Yayosu" eventually became "Yaesu," and the rest is history. The Dutchman was given the position of adviser for diplomacy and trade by Ieyasu, and today his statue inside the mall greets visitors from around the world.

Yaesu Shopping Mall, or Yaechika (chika means underground) as it is known, is undergoing a transition as it celebrates its 50th anniversary Monday. It seeks to be the final stop for shopping by foreign tourists returning to Narita or Haneda airports, and it promises an unforgettable experience, with 180 clothing stores, liquor stores, drugstores and restaurants. Restaurants account for about half the shops and are mainly in the east and south areas.

Customers might find themselves unable to leave Liquors Hasegawa once they begin sampling a few of the store's 200 whiskeys and brandies. The affordable prices, starting from 100 yen (80 cents), tempt customers to try one more … and maybe another. That was the case of Mr. Sato, a 60-year-old Japanese man wearing a hunting cap. "It took me three different tastings to finally decide to get this bottle," he said with a chuckle, holding the small tasting glass, now half empty. The store does limit customers to five or six samples.

"I haven't seen any other liquor store that offers samplings, especially for these expensive whiskys. This is a great location, I can quickly stop by," added Sato, a frequent visitor. For the shop, providing some of the expensive liquors in particular "is not actually profitable at all, but it's easiest for a customer to just try a sip than us explain to them," said Shusaku Osawa, the manager. Tasting is believing, especially if many of the customers speak another language.

Yaechika is directly connected to Tokyo Station.

Beard Papa's, a Japanese fresh cream puff shop that has been expanding in the U.S. and Southeast Asia, recently opened a shop at Yaechika. Visitors who have a sweet tooth can sense the store from a distance as puffs are baked right at the shop. Conscious of young Chinese travelers who seek out unique products, Beard Papa's offers the Royal Mascarpone flavor only at this store. The cream-cheese-like flavor with a hint of wine can be enjoyed for 250 yen.

The entire mall accommodates its increasing number of foreign customers in an orchestral manner. The information center in the middle of the mall provides service in English, as well as translation by phone in Chinese and Korean. Most shops now have what they call a "pointing finger sheet," which has common requests written in different languages so that a customer can express what they need just by pointing. Seventeen shops including drugstores, clothing stores and shoes shops are tax-free.

The mall's accessibility, directly connected to Tokyo Station, keeps bringing the visitors. People waiting for a train can spend time just like Phyllis and Jan Cheung, a married couple from Hong Kong. They stopped for some last-minute shopping in their five-day trip to Tokyo.

"We found out about this mall on a website," Phyllis Cheung said. "We are heading to the airport in a couple hours and spending time here."

A photo exhibit showing Yaechika's 50-year history begins Monday.