Ginza

Current revision

Ginza (銀座) is a city in Japan. It is located inside the Tokyo Prefecture. The city itself is just south of Kyobashi with Yurakucho just to the east. In the north is Shinbashi. This is a central location for the Tokyo Prefecture. It has many department stores and restaurants and is focused in the tertiary or service industry. The population of this city is said to be over 500,000.

This city is supported mainly by the service industry. There are many industrial complexes in this city of great importance. There are businesses based in Ginza such as Sony Corporation and Apple Computers. Some companies located in the area are Matsuya, Wako and Ricoh which are all department stores that bring much of the cities revenue. This is a hot place for tourist and natives to come the same. On the weekends there are so many people in the area the main road is closed to traffic. There is also a rather large fish market in this area as well. It is one of the biggest in Japan and even throughout Asia.

History

Ginza as everyone knows it began in 1872. This town is actually named after a silver-coin mint that was built in 1612 in this area long ago. In 1872 the city was rebuilt by an English architect named Thomas Waters, These buildings included Georgian brick buildings, a shopping center and many roads to connect the city together. The entire change was geared towards changing the area into Western-style brick architecture. The reasons for the town being constructed in brick was to make the city and Japan seem more Westernized. In 1870 the first railroad was laid connecting Port of Yokohama with a settlement in Tsukiji.

The war ended in August 15, 1945 and soon after Allied Forces stationed themselves in the area. The Hattori Clock Store and Matsuya were converted into Post Exchange for the military. The stores in the commercial district all catered to the American Soldiers. The city recovered quickly and rebuilt 180 shops within seven months. A festival was held during April 20-24 to honor that time.

Points of Interest

The Nakajin Capsule apartment building was built in 1971 by an architect named Kisho Kurokawa. This is the world’s first attempt to make capsules where a person can live. Each square is nine feet by fifteen feet. The bed takes up most of the space, but everyday appliances are located within reaching distance. There is a convenience store located on the floor. This is a great place to get a short term apartment or just an interesting site to see.

The Kabuki-za Theater has performances everyday. This is a very beautiful structure that is one of the areas few examples of traditional style buildings that were built with more modern materials instead of wood. There are many different styled plays that all families can enjoy.

The Tsukiji Fish Market is a sight to see. This is the largest wholesale fish market in Japan and Asia. If someone wants to see the lively market, it must be done my mid afternoon. After that, most of the trading is over, and the shops are closed and the streets are emptied. The market is only closed on Sunday and holidays. To see the market at its best it is advised to arrive around seven or eight in the morning.

See Also

• Ginza Hotels
• Ginza Restaurants

External Links

• Ginza Official Website (English)
• Ginza Official Website (Japanese)