Ginza ( ; ) is a district of Chūō,

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, located south of

Yaesu is a district in Chūō, Tokyo, Japan, located north of Ginza, west of Nihonbashi and Kyōbashi, and adjacent to the east side of Tokyo Station. The Yaesu exit of this station, which faces Nihonbashi, is a recent addition and primarily provide ...

and Kyōbashi, west of

Tsukiji Tsukiji (築地) is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan. Literally meaning "reclaimed land", it lies near the Sumida River on land reclaimed from Tokyo Bay in the 18th century during the Edo period. The eponymous Tsukiji fish market opened in 193 ...

, east of

Yūrakuchō is a business district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, situated in between the Ginza and Hibiya Park, southeast of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. The district takes its name from Oda Nagamasu (1547–1622), who was also known as Yūraku (有楽). Oda Naga ...

and

Uchisaiwaichō is a district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, at the south-east corner of the ward bordering with Chūō and Minato. Uchisaiwaichō Station on the Toei Mita Line is located in the area. Parts of the Hibiya Station and Shimbashi Station are also located ...

, and north of

Shinbashi , sometimes transliterated Shimbashi, is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Name Read literally, the characters in Shinbashi mean "new bridge". History The area was the site of a bridge built across the Shiodome River in 1604. The river was l ...

. It is a popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo, with numerous internationally renowned

department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store under one roof, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store mad ...

s, boutiques, restaurants and

coffeehouse A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargi ...

s located in its vicinity. It is considered to be one of the most expensive, elegant, and luxurious city districts in the world. Ginza was a part of the old Kyobashi ward of

Tokyo City was a Cities of Japan, municipality in Japan and capital of Tokyo Prefecture (1868–1943), Tokyo Prefecture (or ''Tokyo-fu'') which existed from 1 May 1889 until the establishment of Tokyo Metropolis on 1 July 1943. The historical boundari ...

, which, together with

Nihonbashi is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan, which sprung up around the bridge of the same name that has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603. The curre ...

and

Kanda Kanda may refer to: People *Kanda (surname) * Kanda Bongo Man (born 1955), Congolese soukous musician Places *Kanda, Tokyo, an area in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan ** Kanda Station (Tokyo), a railway station in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo *Kanda River, a riv ...

, formed the core of

Shitamachi and are traditional names for two areas of Tokyo, Japan. Yamanote refers to the affluent, upper-class areas of Tokyo west of the Imperial Palace.Iwanami Japanese dictionary, 6th Edition (2008), DVD version While citizens once considered it as ...

, the original downtown center of

Edo Edo (), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the '' de facto'' capital of Japan from 1603 as the seat of the Tokugawa shogu ...

(Tokyo).

History

Ginza was built upon a former swamp that was filled in during the 16th century. The name Ginza comes after the establishment of a silver-coin

mint Mint or The Mint may refer to: Plants * Lamiaceae, the mint family ** ''Mentha'', the genus of plants commonly known as "mint" Coins and collectibles * Mint (facility), a facility for manufacturing coins * Mint condition, a state of like-new ...

established there in 1612, during the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

. After a devastating fire in 1872 burned down most of the area, the Meiji government designated the Ginza area as a "model of modernization." The government planned the construction of fireproof brick buildings and larger, better streets connecting Shimbashi Station all the way to the foreign concession in Tsukiji. Soon after the fire, redevelopment schemes were prepared by

Colin Alexander McVean Colin Alexander McVean, Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, FRGS (6 March 1838 – 18 January 1912) was a Scottish civil engineer who contributed to Japan's engineering development in 1870s. He left two brief autobiographies, diaries, photo ...

a chief surveyor of the Public Works under direction of

Yamao Yozo Yamao (written: ) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese rhythmic gymnast *, Japanese cyclist *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese poet *, Japanese politician *, Japanese samurai {{surname Japanese-language sur ...

, but execution designs were provided by the Irish-born

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

Thomas Waters Thomas James Waters (17 July 1842 – 5 February 1898) was an Irish civil engineer and architect. He was active in Bakumatsu period, Bakumatsu and early Meiji period Japan. Biography Waters was born in Birr, County Offaly, in Ireland in 1842 ...

; the Bureau of Construction of the Ministry of Finance was in charge of construction. The following year, a Western-style shopping

promenade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortification, fortress or city walls ...

on the street from the Shinbashi bridge to the Kyōbashi bridge in the southwestern part of Chūō with two- and three-story Georgian brick buildings was completed. These "bricktown" buildings were initially offered for sale and later were leased, but the high rent prevented many of them from being occupied long term. Moreover, the construction was not adapted to the climate, and the bold design conflicted with traditional Japanese architectural styles found at the time. The new Ginza was not popular with visiting foreigners, who were looking for a more Edo-styled city. Isabella Bird visited in 1878 and in 1880 implied that Ginza was less like an Oriental city than like the outskirts of

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

. Philip Terry, an English writer of tour guides, likened it to Broadway, however not in a positive sense. Nevertheless, the area flourished as a symbol of " civilization and enlightenment" thanks to the presence of various newspapers and magazine companies, which helped spread the latest trends of the day. The area was also known for its window displays, an example of modern marketing techniques. The area became a popular shopping and meeting destination, with the custom of "killing time in Ginza" developing strongly between the two world wars. Most of these European-style buildings have disappeared, but some older buildings still remain, most famously the Wakō building with the now-iconic Hattori Clock Tower. The building and the clock tower were originally built by Kintarō Hattori, the founder of

Seiko , commonly known as Seiko ( , ), is a Japanese maker of watches, clocks, electronic devices, and semiconductors. Founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori in Tokyo, Seiko introduced the world's first commercial quartz wristwatch in 1969. Seiko is ...

. Its recent history has seen it as a prominent outpost of Western luxury shops such as

Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...

and

Giorgio Armani Giorgio Armani (; born 11 July 1934) is an Italian fashion designer and a billionaire. He first gained renown working for Cerruti 1881. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, which eventually expanded into music, sport, and luxury hotels. By 200 ...

. Ginza is a popular destination on weekends, as the main north–south artery has been closed to traffic since the 1960s, under governor

Ryokichi Minobe was a Japanese economist, educator, and socialist politician who served as Governor of Tokyo from 1967 to 1979. Early life Minobe was born in Tokyo's Hongō Ward. His father, Tatsukichi Minobe, was a noted constitutional scholar at Tokyo Imper ...

Economy

Many leading fashion houses'

flagship store A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

s are located here, with the area having the highest concentration of Western shops in Tokyo. It is one of two locations in Tokyo considered by Chevalier and Mazzalovo to be the best locations for a

luxury goods In economics, a luxury good (or upmarket good) is a good (economics), good for which demand (economics), demand increases more than what is proportional as income rises, so that expenditures on the good become a more significant proportion of ove ...

store. The other prime location is

Omotesandō is a Zelkova serrata, zelkova tree-lined avenue located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Shibuya and Minato, Tokyo, Minato, Tokyo, stretching from the Meiji Shrine entrance to Aoyama-dōri (Aoyama Street), where Omotesandō Station can be found. History Omot ...

. Prominent high-end retailers include the American company Carolina Herrera New York, French companies

Chanel Chanel ( , ) is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. It is privately owned by French brothers, Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, through the holding company Chanel Limited, established in 2018 and headquarte ...

Dior Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior, is a French Multinational corporation, multinational luxury goods company that is controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH. , Dior controlled around 42% of ...

and Saint Laurent, Italian company

Gucci Guccio Gucci S.p.A., doing business as Gucci ( , ), is an Italian Luxury goods, luxury fashion house based in Florence. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and ...

and Austrian brands

Swarovski Swarovski (, ) is an Austrian producer of glass based in Wattens, Tyrol. It was founded in 1895 by Daniel Swarovski. The company is split into three major industry areas: the Swarovski Crystal Business, which primarily produces crystal glas ...

and

Riedel Riedel is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Adolph Friedrich Johann Riedel (1809-1872), German industrialist and politician *August Riedel (Johann Friedrich Ludwig Heinrich August Riedel) (1799–1883), German painter *B ...

. Ginza is also home to many kimono stores, including Ginza Motoji, Echigo-ya, and Erizen. Many people choose to wear their kimono to visit Ginza and window shop. Flagship electronic retail stores like the

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...

showroom (which closed in 2017 and new building would open in 2022) and the first

Apple Store The Apple Store is a chain of Retail, retail stores owned and operated by Apple Inc. The stores sell, service and repair various Apple products, including Macintosh, Mac desktop and MacBook laptop personal computers, iPhone smartphones, iPad ta ...

outside the United States can be found here (Ginza 2 chome). The electronics company

Ricoh is a Japanese multinational imaging and electronics company. It was founded by the now-defunct commercial division of the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (Riken) known as the ''Riken Concern'', on 6 February 1936 as . Ricoh's hea ...

is headquartered in the Ricoh Building in Ginza.Company Data
Richo's building is one of symbol of Ginza. ." ''

''. Retrieved on January 13, 2009. The neighborhood is a major shopping district. It is home to Wako department store, which is located in a building dating from 1894. The building has a

clock tower Clock towers are a specific type of structure that house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another building ...

. There are many

s in the area, including

Hankyu , trading as , is a Japanese private railway company that provides commuter and interurban service to the northern Kansai region. It is one of the flagship properties of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., in turn part of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho G ...

, Seibu, and Matsuya, in which there are many shops: grocery stores, restaurants, women and men clothes, sportswear, and jewellers etc. There are also

art galleries An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The long ...

. Kabuki-za is the theater for

kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

, and is located between Ginza and Tsukiji. The building was first opened in 1889 and has been reconstructed several times due to war damage and fire. The present building was built in 2013. is a

sushi is a traditional Japanese dish made with , typically seasoned with sugar and salt, and combined with a variety of , such as seafood, vegetables, or meat: raw seafood is the most common, although some may be cooked. While sushi comes in n ...

restaurant in Ginza which is owned and operated by

master Jiro Ono. It was the first sushi restaurant in the world to receive three stars from the

Michelin Guide The ''Michelin Guides'' ( ; ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The ''Guide'' awards up to three Michelin star (classification), stars for excellence to a select few restaurants ...

, although it was removed from the Michelin Guide in November 2019 because it does not accept reservations from the general public. File:Mitsukoshi department store at Ginza.jpg,

Mitsukoshi is an international Department stores in Japan, department store chain with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. Its holding company, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings, is a member of the Mitsui, Mitsui Group. History It was founded in 1673 with the (sho ...

department store at Ginza. There are two symbols of lion heads at the entrance, and is a popular meeting place. File:Colourful intersection at Ginza - Tokyo Japan.jpg, The Sony Building and intersection at dusk. The Sony building was demolished in 2017, and the new Sony building is scheduled for completion and opening in fall 2022. File:Kabuki-za Theatre 2013 1125.jpg,

Kabuki-za in Ginza is the principal theater in Tokyo for the traditional ''kabuki'' drama form. History The Kabuki-za was originally opened by a Meiji era journalist, Fukuchi Gen'ichirō. Fukuchi wrote kabuki dramas in which Ichikawa Danjūrō IX and o ...

theater Kabukiza is located between Ginza and Tsukiji, about a 15-minute walk away from the Mitsukoshi store. File:Taimei Elementary School in Ginza.JPG, Taimei Elementary School File:Tokyu Plaza Ginza1b.JPG, Tokyu Plaza Ginza, a shopping center with a duty-free shop for visitors from other countries File:Ginza_Six_02.jpg,

Ginza Six Ginza Six is a luxury shopping complex located in the Ginza area of Tokyo, jointly developed by Mori Building Company, J. Front Retailing, Sumitomo Corporation and L Catterton Real Estate. The name Ginza Six or G Six reflects the building addr ...

shopping complex, the newest shopping center in Ginza. Dior Cafe is located in this building. File:Ginza at night.jpg, Ginza at night File:Ginza in the rain.jpg, Ginza in the rain File:Ginza in afternoon.jpg, Ginza in afternoon

Pedestrianization

Each Saturday and Sunday, from 12:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., through Ginza is closed off to road traffic, allowing people to walk freely. This is called or ''Hokoten'' for short, literally meaning "pedestrian heaven". There are some people who do street performance such as magic and playing instruments. As a famous photo spot, some cats sleep on signs, where people can put their own cats onto these signs. The location where cats are is different depending on the date.

Subway stations

* Ginza Station (銀座駅) (

Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line The is a subway line in Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by Tokyo Metro. The line was named after the Hibiya area in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda's Yurakucho district, under which it passes. On maps, diagrams and signboards, the line is shown using t ...

Tokyo Metro Ginza Line The is a subway line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by Tokyo Metro. The official name is . It is long and serves the wards of Shibuya, Minato, Tokyo, Minato, Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda, and Taitō, Tokyo, Taitō. It is the old ...

Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line The is a Rapid transit, subway line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by Tokyo Metro. The line runs in a U-shape between Ogikubo Station in Suginami, Tokyo, Suginami and Ikebukuro Station in Toshima, Tokyo, Toshima, with a branch line between Nakano-Sa ...

) * Ginza-itchōme Station (銀座一丁目駅) (

Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line The is a rapid transit, subway line in Japan owned and operated by Tokyo Metro. The line connects Wakōshi Station in Wakō, Saitama and Shin-Kiba Station in Kōtō, Tokyo. On maps, diagrams and signboards, the line is shown using the color "go ...

) * Higashi-Ginza Station (東銀座駅) (

Toei Asakusa Line The is a subway line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the municipal subway operator Toei Subway. The line runs between in Ōta, Tokyo, Ōta and in Sumida, Tokyo, Sumida. The line is named after the Asakusa district, a cultural center of Tokyo, un ...

) Other stations near Ginza: * Yurakucho Station (有楽町駅)

Tokyo Metro Yurakucho line Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital and most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is one of the most populous urban areas in the world. The Greater Tokyo Area, which ...

, JR Yamanote line, JR Keihin tohoku line *

Hibiya Station is a Tokyo subway station in the Yūrakuchō district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, operated by Tokyo Metro and Toei. The area around the station is generally called Hibiya, which is the southwestern corner of the Yūrakuchō district. Hibiya is T ...

(日比谷駅)

Tokyo Metro Hibiya line The is a subway line in Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by Tokyo Metro. The line was named after the Hibiya area in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda's Yurakucho district, under which it passes. On maps, diagrams and signboards, the line is shown using t ...

Tokyo Metro Chiyoda line The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro in Tokyo, Japan. On average, the line carries 1,447,730 passengers daily (2017), the second highest of the Tokyo Metro network, behind the Tozai Line (1,642,378).Toei Mita line The is a rapid transit, subway line of the municipal Toei Subway network in Tokyo, Japan. The line runs between Nishi-Takashimadaira Station, Nishi-Takashimadaira in Itabashi, Tokyo, Itabashi and Meguro Station, Meguro in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Shi ...

Shinbashi Station is a major interchange railway station in Tokyo's Minato Ward, located centrally and a 10-minute walk from the Ginza shopping district, directly south of Tokyo station. Many train services such as limited express trains (except the Shōnan ( ...

(新橋駅)

Tokyo Metro Ginza line The is a subway line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by Tokyo Metro. The official name is . It is long and serves the wards of Shibuya, Minato, Tokyo, Minato, Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda, and Taitō, Tokyo, Taitō. It is the old ...

Toei Asakusa line The is a subway line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the municipal subway operator Toei Subway. The line runs between in Ōta, Tokyo, Ōta and in Sumida, Tokyo, Sumida. The line is named after the Asakusa district, a cultural center of Tokyo, un ...

, JR Yamanote line, JR Keihin tohoku line Ginza Station, Yurakucho Station, Hibiya Station are connected underground.

Education

Public elementary and junior high schools are operated by Chuo City Board of Education. Zoned elementary schools include the following: * Taimei Elementary School: All of 5-8

chome The Japanese addressing system is used to identify a specific location in Japan. When written in Japanese characters, addresses start with the largest geographical entity and proceed to the most specific one. The Japanese system is complex, th ...

, 1-chome (2-10 ban, and two lots of 11-ban), 2-chome (2-9 ban), 3-chome (2-8 ban), and 4-chome (1-8 ban) * Kyobashi

Elementary School ( 中央区立京橋築地小学校) - 1-chome (12-28 ban and one lot in 11-ban), 2-chome (10-16 ban), 3-chome (9-15 ban), and 4-chome (9-14 ban) All of Ginza is zoned to Ginza Junior High School ( 中央区立銀座中学校). 中央区立銀座中学校.jpg, Ginza Junior High School ( 中央区立銀座中学校)

References

External links

Tokyo Essentials: Ginza

Ginza
Architecture and Map {{Authority control Districts of Chūō, Tokyo Shopping districts and streets in Japan