Ginza

Overview

Ginza is Tokyo's most prestigious luxury shopping district, equivalent to Fifth Avenue or the Champs-Élysées. Every major international fashion house and department store maintains a flagship here.

Highlights

• Weekend Pedestrian Zone: On Saturdays and Sundays, the main Chuo-dori avenue closes to traffic and becomes a sweeping pedestrian promenade.
• Department Stores: Mitsukoshi, Wako, and Ginza Six represent the pinnacle of Japanese department store culture, with extraordinary food basements (depachika).
• Architecture: The district features stunning contemporary buildings by Renzo Piano (Hermès), Jun Mitsui (Ginza Place), and SANAA (Dior).

History

Named after a silver mint ("gin" = silver, "za" = guild) established here by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1612. After the 1872 fire, the area was rebuilt in brick Western style, becoming Japan's first modern commercial district.

Visitor Tips

• Depachika: The basement food halls of Mitsukoshi and Matsuya are extraordinary — buy beautifully packaged sweets as gifts.
• Itoya: The legendary 12-floor stationery store is a paradise for pen, paper, and design lovers.
• Duration: 2–3 hours.