銀座
THE GINZA AND NEARBY AREAS
Tourists usually think of the Ginza area as only an expensive upscale shopping district. It surely is that and a great deal more. Many of the shops are not all that expensive, and most restaurants have reasonably priced lunches. I once gave a friend, who had less-than-no interest in the Ginza, two tours of the area. The first tour was shortly after sunrise: winding through empty side streets and alleys showing him small lanes of bars, Shintō shrines nested in niches between buildings, and unusual architecture on the main and side streets, as well as just finding interesting places to photograph tucked away here and there. The second tour focused on the interiors of various department stores and their rooftops. Several of the buildings in the Ginza have rooftops where you can sit, eat, and enjoy planted areas and small shrines dating back centuries. These shrines were often relocated to the roof from the ground when the modern building was constructed. Given the high price of real estate in the area such rooftop shrines are not unusual, but many are company or family shrines and not generally accessible, so I will not list those here. My friend ended up with a very positive view of what can be found in the Ginza.
Originally this area had been mostly underwater where the Hibiya inlet met the bay. It was filled in early in the 17th century as part of the work to establish the castle town of Edo. The neighborhood became the location of a silver mint (Ginza). Then, after the Meireki Fire of 1657, it developed into a community of artisans. In 1869 and 1872 much of the Ginza area was again razed in a fire. It was redeveloped with brick buildings and wider streets to not only reduce risk of fire, but also to make the area a model of modernization.
THE GINZA AND NEARBY AREAS
For fans of cinema, some famous sequences featuring the Ginza are in Ozu’s Tokyo Story, when Noriko takes her in-laws to the roof of one of the department stores for a view of the city, and several shots in Naruse’s When a Woman Ascends the Stairs.
And yes, some of the shops can be very expensive—for this reason I left a few out that I was thinking of including. This is out of courtesy to the shops; after all, if you produce a custom-tailored product that costs about $2,000–$3,000, you really don’t need casual tourists wandering in.
NOTE: Some stores have Japanese names and use Roman letters in their signage and advertising; these will not have kanji listed.
DETAIL 1
Asahi Inari Jinja 朝日稲荷神社
The entrance to this shrine is located next to an intersection. On the street level, you will see a red torii in front of a small shrine with an offering box and bell. However, the main shrine is on the roof. To reach it, take the elevator to the eighth floor and then climb the stairs. The shrine is technically connected to the earth via a pipe filled with soil. There is also an empty pipe—look up when you are at the ground level shrine to see it—and a speaker on the roof, both of which are there to convey the sounds of worshipers on ground. People pray here for prosperous business, the well-being of one’s family, and better fortune.
The roof is not accessible on Sundays and holidays.
Mitsukoshi Ginza 三越銀座
This is the Ginza branch of the main Mitsukoshi store in Nihonbashi. There are fifteen floors, four of which are underground. Two of those are devoted to food sales, with refrigerated coin lockers on B3. B1 has a variety of services for tourists. The top two floors are for restaurants. The ninth floor terrace is a good place to rest when the weather is nice. The terrace has a Mimeguri shrine—these are on the rooftops of all Mitsukoshi stores. There is also an interesting statue known as the Shusse Jizō, which in the early Meiji period was found by construction workers in the filled-in Sanjukken canal. The name Shusse can be translated as “appearing in the world.” When the store was constructed in 1970, the Jizō was moved to the present location.
https://www.mistore.jp/store/ginza.html
GINZA DETAIL 1
Kimuraya 木村屋
This is the main branch of the first bakery in Japan, which was established in 1869 when the country was opening up to the West. Their Ginza shop opened in 1874 directly across the street from its current location. This confectionery owns the honor of having been the originator, also in 1874, of the popular treat anpan, a bread roll filled with sweet bean paste. The Emperor Meiji was fond of anpan, which greatly helped promote the product. These days they produce many different types of anpan, so you may want to try more than one. A special strain of yeast cultured from rice, which has been maintained since the beginning of the company, is used for many of their products. Besides anpan, they also bake several types of breads, melon pan, rolls, and a variety of sweet and savory treats. The bakery produces about 130 different types of products in all, some of which are only available seasonally.
There are eight floors to this location: the first is for selling baked goods, the second is the cafe, the third is the grill, the fourth is a French restaurant, and the remaining floors are offices and the bakery. Kimuraya products are also sold in many branch shops, department stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores.
http://www.kimuraya-sohonten.co.jp
http://www.norenkai.net/en/portfolio-item/kimuraya-sohonten/
Wakō Department Store 和光
This building was constructed in 1932 as the Hattori Building by Hattori Kintarō, who made watches under the brand name of Seiko. There are seven stories if you count the basement. The building was constructed to be fire resistant and survived the firebombings of Tokyo in World War II. It was used as a PX for the occupying forces until 1952. As you enter, the first thing you notice is a large counter area for Seiko watches. With its iconic clock tower, the store is a landmark often used in movies to indicate that a scene is set in the Ginza, for example in Gojira (Godzilla).
Hōdō Inari Jinja 宝童稲荷神社
Originally erected sometime during the Edo period in the shōgun’s castle for the protection of his children, Hōdō Inari is now a neighborhood shrine where people come to pray for protection from fire as well as for the health and education of children. Its present location is on a small pedestrian walkway with an entrance so narrow that you could easily miss it. From Renga Dōri, look for the black and gold sculpture of a monkey pointing into the walkway to the shrine. You will see a pair of monkeys once you start walking toward the shrine. The walkway is nicknamed En Musubu Sandō “Happy Monkey Avenue.” The monkeys are by the sculptor Watanabe Motoka, who is known for his works with animal motifs.
Matsuya Ginza 松屋銀座
Originally established in Yokohama as the Tsuruya Gofuku in 1869, the company expanded into Tokyo in 1890 with the purchase of the Matsuya Gofuku store in Imagawabashi. The word gofuku in this case refers to clothing, which is what they originally sold. The Tokyo store expanded to become the first department store in Japan 1907. In 1925 the Ginza store was opened with new features including a cafeteria and a tourist bureau, and customers no longer had to remove their shoes at the entrance. It also sadly was the location of the first highrise suicide in Japan on May 9, 1926. In 1926 the Ginza store would become the flagship store for the company. In 1929 the Ryūkō Fudōson (龍光不動尊) was enshrined on the roof. Feast days for this Fudō are the twenty-eighth of January, May, and September. Given its location, people offer prayers for success in the fashion world.
Louis Vuitton Ginza
This is the main store of three LV stores in the Ginza. I am including this one for those interested in architecture. After all, why shop in a store found all over the world? The building was designed by Jun Aoki and Associates and built in 2004. The structure is basically a cube, but the exterior is truly interesting. Originally it had a different design, but in 2013 Jun Aoki and Associates was hired to redo the facade and it now sports a shell said to be inspired by the brand’s Damier pattern. The edges of the pattern warp outward and inward in a series of panels of varying size that add a texture during the day and allow light out at night.
Itōya 伊東屋
Itōya is one of the most famous stationery stores in Japan, in business since 1904. Look for the large red paperclip over their sign. Itōya stocks products from all over the country. Two whole floors are devoted to paper: in one area you can custom design a notebook, and another floor is themed for communication, with seats and a counter for writing letters. You can buy or borrow a pen, write, buy stamps, and mail your letter or postcard right there. An entire floor is devoted to high-quality fountain pens, including some that are hand lacquered with various traditional designs. There is even CAFE Stylo on the twelfth floor, which grows some of its vegetables on the site. Services include printing, custom engraving, repair of fountain pens, and more. There are branch stores in other parts of Tokyo and Japan as well as stands within other businesses.
Mikimoto Ginza 2 / MIKIMOTO 銀座2
A branch of the Mikimoto Ginza main store that focuses on casual pearl accessories. The building was designed by Toyo Ito and Associates and opened in 2005. The walls consist of concrete sandwiched between two layers of steel plate. There are 163 asymmetrical windows scattered across the smooth surface of the structure. The slightly pinkish walls provide the support for the entire nine-story building. Mikimoto Ginza 2 contains retail space, multipurpose floors, and restaurants.
https://www.mikimoto.com/jp_en/ginza2-store-en
Dear Ginza
A nine-story commercial building for shops and offices designed by Amano Design Office and completed in 2013. The texture of the front of the building resembles crumpled wrapping paper. Photographers will be tempted to return several times a day since the shadows change constantly as the sun moves across the sky. At night, lights behind the perforated aluminum facade panels can be different colors, changing with the season and making the apparently opaque facade seem transparent.
Saiwai Inari Jinja 幸稲荷神社
Saiwai Inari Jinja was founded sometime in the Edo period. The current building dates from 2014 as part of a redevelopment of the area. It is a neighborhood shrine of attractive plain wood construction in a niche between buildings, located about mid-block on a narrow street between Namiki Dōri and Ginza Renga Dōri. At each entrance to the street are the New Yorker store on Namoiki Dōri and GINZA Global Style on Ginza Renga Dōri. People come here to pray for business success and domestic harmony.
V88 Building (formerly the De Beers Ginza Building)
Designed by Jun Mitsui & Associates for De Beers, the building was completed in 2008 and consists of eleven floors and two basement levels, with interior decoration done by CAPS Architecture Interior Design. The structure curves on its front very much like a wave. On the side street, alternating long windows divided by stone create a "glitter" effect on sunny days. In 2009 the building won the Japan Stainless Steel Association Prize.
DETAIL 2
Okuno Building 奥野ビル
This building was designed by Kawamoto Ryōichi and completed in 1932, with a new wing added in 1934. Originally there were six stories, making it one of the tallest buildings in the area. A seventh story was added later. This was the first apartment building in the Ginza to have an elevator. The elevator is manually operated and still in service—be sure to pay attention to the instructions if you use it. Today the building consists of small shops and galleries. One interesting detail is that the original flooring is still in use, making it something of a time capsule. The building survived the firebombings of Tokyo in World War II and is the second oldest building in the Ginza. The building shows its age, being rather worn; repairs are done when they need to be. I find the Okuno Building to be a pleasant contrast to the polished shiny Ginza of the other buildings.
GINZA DETAIL 2
DETAIL 3
Ginza Six / G Six ギンザシックス
This massive complex, designed by Taniguchi Yoshio, was built in 2017 by merging two blocks, one quarter of which had been occupied by the Matsuzakaya department store. The resulting building houses some 240 shops, making this the largest commercial complex in the Ginza. Of note is the shop of Jotaro Saito, the famous kimono designer, who produces gorgeous works. His shop, on the fourth floor, also has a cafe. Fine kimonos are something you rarely buy off the rack, so the store has great displays of fabrics to choose from. For serious photographers, the fifth floor has a Leica camera shop. Browsing the tastefully displayed items for, it feels like you are in an art gallery, or perhaps a high-end jewelry shop. There is also an exhibit space for photographs. The sixth floor has what is most dangerous for my pocketbook: Tsutaya Books. Unlike some bookstores, English and Japanese books are shelved together by topic, so browse and ask the helpful staff. I plan ahead and bring printouts of titles published in Japan that I am looking for. There are so many books that not everything is on the shelves. The whole building is bracketed between the 480-seat Kanze Nō theater in the third basement and a large rooftop garden, which is accessible on most days from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. The rooftop garden has great views of that part of the Ginza. The roof also houses Kakugo Inari Jinja (靍護稲荷神社). This small shrine was established in 1815 and had previously been on the rooftop of the Matsuzakaya department store. People pray there for protection from fire.
Ginza 6:
https://ginza6.tokyo.e.abf.hp.transer.com
Jotaro Saito:
Leica:
https://en.leica-camera.com/Stores-Dealers/Leica-Stores-Worldwide/Leica-Store-Ginza-Six
Tsutaya Books:
https://store.tsite.jp/ginza/english/
GINZA DETAIL 3
Ōnoya 大野屋
A maker and seller of custom-made traditional tabi socks established sometime in the 1770s. They also sell tenugui and clothing items. They moved to the current location in 1849, and the present building dates from the Taishō period. Their location near the Kabukiza is a good one for them, as tabi are worn by kabuki actors and by many audience members who attend the theater in kimono.
https://www.oonoyasohonten.jp
Kūya 空也
A maker and seller of only one type of traditional confection: monaka, sweet azuki bean paste sandwiched between two crunchy oval wafers. Everything is made in the shop and there is no mail order service. This product is so popular that at times you need to pre-order a week or so in advance to get a box of this inexpensive treat. Usually it is possible to buy without a pre-order, but it is best to do so early in the day. The first store opened in Ueno in 1884, where it quickly gained fame by being mentioned in many literary works of the time. After the first store was burned out in World War II, they reopened in the Ginza in 1949.
Ginza Komatsu Miwa Jinja 銀座小松三輪神社
In 1992, a branch of Ōmiwa Jinja in Nara was installed in a rooftop garden of the Komatsu West building. This shrine is sometimes referred to as Tenkū Jinja “Shrine in the Sky.” Originally it was installed as a shrine for the business; around 2011 the shrine and garden were renewed and made publicly accessible. To access the shrine you have to go to the seventh floor of the building and take an external stairway to the roof. The wood, stones, and plants for the shrine and garden were carefully chosen to have connections with religious and Feng Shui traditions.
http://www.ginza-komatsu.co.jp/en/blog/archives/466
http://www.ginza-komatsu.co.jp/en/blog/archives/118
Nissan Crossing
Designed by Eight Inc. for Nissan and completed in 2016. The exterior has a white mesh-like pattern that curves and elongates as the building rises. At night moving patterns are projected on the windows adding to the unique visuals of the building.
The street level has regularly changing displays of concept cars as well as classic and racing models. The second level has a digital touch screen wall where you can explore Nissan’s history. It also has the Crossing Cafe, where you can choose to top off your latte with an image from a variety of a Nissan vehicles or from your own photo. That level also has the Nissan Boutique, where Nissan-themed goods are sold along with detailed miniature replicas of cars. They even have tenugui and face masks available for the health conscious.
Kikunoya 菊廼舎
Operating since 1890, the main store is now located one block east of Chūō Dōri on the first floor of the Ginza Azuma Building. Kikunoya is a maker of finely crafted dry and moist tea sweets in both old and modern styles. As is traditional with tea sweets, many items and designs are changed seasonally. While the moist sweets need to be consumed in a day or two, the many dry treats would make great gifts with their attractive packaging. The wrapping papers used by the store are seasonal, or one can get a general design for congratulatory gifts in traditional white and red.
There are also branch stores in various parts of the Tokyo area.
https://www.ginza-kikunoya.co.jp
▲ The approach to Toyoiwa Inari Jinja is accessed by narrow walkways between buildings.
▲ The large Shusse Jizō sits on the roof of Mitsukoshi Ginza.
▲ The morning light plays on the exterior of the main Louis Vuitton store in the Ginza.
▲ The iconic Wako department store and the Ginza Crossing intersection can be seen from the rooftop garden of the Ginza Six building.
Azuma Inari Daimyōjin あづま稲荷大明神
After World War II, this part of the Ginza suffered from several fires. The neighborhood determined that there had once been an Inari shrine here and built this shrine on Miharakōji (三原小路), an alley just off Mihara Dōri. This stone-paved pedestrian street is lined with potted plants and has bamboo and wood construction along much of it. Since the shrine was established, there have been no fires in the area. An association of twenty-eight shops along the street supports the shrine, where people pray for protection from fire.
Ginza Akebono 銀座あけぼの
A small confectionery that has been making and selling a large variety of modern and traditional sweets and rice crackers since 1948. You can purchase packaged items or choose freshly made ones from the counter. Some products, like the ichigo daifuku (strawberry mochi), are very perishable, so you should eat them the day you purchase them. Go ahead and be a little greedy and get extra. There are also seasonal items and packaging, so if you are a frequent visitor to Tokyo you may find things you have not seen before. Most depachika (department store basement food halls) have branches selling their products, so you can also find them outside the Ginza.
http://www.ginza-akebono.co.jp
Maison Hermès メゾンエルメス
Of course this French high fashion line has a store in the Ginza, this one in a building built in 2001. The front is narrow but the lot is very deep, with additional entrances on the side. The eleven-story building, designed by Renzo Piano, is encased in large glass bricks. At night, the entire building lights up like a lantern. The main entrance is framed by two display windows, and the artists commissioned for the displays are given credit on the store’s website. The building is directly accessible from Ginza Station. The first four floors are devoted to retail space. The eighth floor houses Le Forum for art exhibits, which, while usually free, may have an admittance charge. The tenth floor houses Le Studio, a private forty-seat cinema; reservations are required but admission is free.
DETAIL 4
Kumagaya Inari Jinja 熊谷稲荷神社
This neighborhood shrine was rebuilt in early 2018 and moved to the present location. Historical records indicate this was the fourth location of this shrine in the immediate neighborhood. The small shrine proper is older than the rest of the site. It has a black roof, and the stand, offering box, walls, and torii are newer and made of plain wood. Two old stone foxes guard the shrine area just inside the torii, and two smaller ones are on either side of the shrine.
Cheepa’s Cafe チーパズカフェ
Cheepa’s Gallery チーパズギャラリー
Two parts of the MYS Ginza building:
Cheepa’s Cafe occupies the first two floors. The second floor is available for parties and is therefore not always accessible. The cafe is a simple spot to take a break. Well, not so simple—on both floors there is a large display of toys from the Shōwa era to the present.
Cheepa’s Gallery on the third floor is famous for hosting exhibits dealing with literature, manga, anime, and other visual arts. Depending on the exhibit, the cafe may even do related designs in chocolate on your cappuccino: imagine being handed an ephemeral artwork with an image of Godzilla or Captain Harlock.
Café de l’Ambre / Kafe do Ramburu カフェ・ド・ランブル
You may have not heard of this lovely small coffee shop, but it is famous among those in the industry. It was founded in 1948 by Sekiguchi Ichiro, who had been told by his coworkers that his coffee was so good that he should open his own shop. Each cup is individually brewed. While this is not that unusual in Japan—they even individually brew chilled coffee—what makes this shop different is the dedication they put into it. They not only grind the coffee for each cup, they even roast their own beans. The owner continued to do this himself until he passed away at 104. Café de l’Ambre breaks many rules of coffee making, rules that apparently had little basis in reality, as the resulting beverage is wonderful. For example, they age beans, long considered a very bad thing to do. Just after the war, they were able to get a batch of five-year-old beans on the black market, and the coffee made from it turned out to be excellent. Through experimentation they found which coffees age well and which do not. The owner was originally an engineer, so he modified his coffeemaking equipment, and even patented some designs, to produce a better cup.
Warning: smoking is allowed here.
http://www.cafedelambre.com
GINZA DETAIL 4 WEST
Hakuhinkan Toy Park 博品館トイパーク
An excellent multistory toy shop in business since 1982. There are eight floors in the building, four for the retail space and the eighth for a theater. The merchandise ranges from the most modern high-tech toys to traditional wooden ones. They carry more than just toys for kids, though there is a massive amount of those to choose from. Adults can find unusual smartphone cases, accessory cases with amusing designs, an excellent selection of hanafuda cards, and more. The selection of dolls is large, and there are stuffed toys, character goods, educational toys, board games, puzzles, and even a slot car racetrack. I picked up a couple of interesting things there: a hanafuda card deck with yōkai designed by famous manga artist Mizuki Shigeru, and a cell phone strap in the shape of a Kewpie doll dressed up as Lum from the Urusei Yatsura manga and anime. They also have branches at several airports in Japan. Show your passport for tax-free purchases over 5,000 yen.
http://www.hakuhinkan.co.jp/toypark/
GINZA DETAIL 4 EAST
Yamaha Ginza ヤマハ銀座
This entry is for music lovers and musicians: Yamaha Ginza is a music department store. The flagship store of the Yamaha music company has fourteen stories devoted to musical instruments, sheet music, books, CDs, a music academy, concert hall and concert salon, and in the basement, a live house (a club for live music). Designed by the Nikken Sekkei company, the gold leaf laminated glass of the facade reflects light in a series of panes in a diagonal grid. This diagonal pattern is repeated inside the store in several places. There is direct access from the Ginza subway line’s Ginza Station.
https://www.yamahamusic.jp/shop/ginza
Toyoiwa Inari Jinja 豊岩稲荷神社
While the dates of the founding are unclear, legend has it that this shrine dates back to the 16th century and was established by a vassal of Akechi Mitsuhide shortly before he had his home built here. Located in a narrow walkway between buildings, it can easily be missed. Even in the middle of the day the area is in deep shadow, and as you look deeper into it, you see it is lit by a series of traditional hanging lanterns. In the late 19th century, kabuki actor Ichimura Uzaemon would pray here for success in his productions. This tradition continues, as many people from the theater do so even today. People also come here to pray for luck in romance and marriage. The best way to approach this shrine is from the northwest off Suzuran Dōri. Look for an upright stone with red lettering at the entrance to the alley.
Hachikan Jinja 八官神社
In the late 17th century this shrine was moved to this location by the Lord of the Akashi castle in Banshū. At that time the shrine was called Kokuhō Inari Jinja. In 1869 the kami of another local shrine, Kagahime Inari, was moved to Kokuhō Inari, so the shrine became the tutelary shrine of the Hachikanchō neighborhood. The present name was given to the shrine in 1924.
Shizuoka Press and Broadcasting Center / Shizuoka Shinbun Shizuoka Hōsō Biru 静岡新聞静岡放送ビル
Built in 1968, this is another unusual building for those interested in architecture to appreciate. It houses the local offices of a news company in Shizuoka.
This is a famous work designed by the architect Tange Kenzō, who was a mentor to the Metabolist movement and incorporated some of their ideas in the structure. The building is an unusual one, with its central column containing elevators and a stairwell. The thirteen offices then protrude from this central mass. The design is such that additional office modules could be added; however it still has the same number as when the building was completed. The vertically-oriented structure makes effective use of its small triangular lot.
DETAIL 5
Kabuki Inari Jinja 歌舞伎稲荷神社
Sometimes referred to as Kabuki Inari Daimyōjin, originally this shrine was in the Kabukiza garden and not accessible to the public. When the Kabukiza theater was rebuilt, the shrine was moved to the present location to the right of the building, close to exit 3 of the Higashi Ginza Station. While taking photos one day, I waited for when there were no worshipers in front of the shrine; then a group of theater people came out of the subway station to pray. I just waited a few minutes longer.
Kabukiza 歌舞伎座
Japan’s principal kabuki theater. The Kabukiza opened in 1889 in a Western-style building that reflected the modern sensibilities characteristic of the time. In 1911 it was redecorated in an elaborate traditional Japanese style. The theater burned down in 1921, and the partially-rebuilt structure again burned down after the Great Kantō Earthquake. The theater was again rebuilt in 1925, only to burn again in the firebombings of World War II. Rebuilt in 1951, it provided a place for performances until 2010 when it was demolished and rebuilt due to concerns regarding the stability of the foundation. The new theater, which strongly resembles the old one, opened in 2013.
TIPS: If you plan to watch a play, consider renting a G-marc Guide for captioning of the performance. For a short taste of kabuki, you can buy a ticket for a single act near the entrance shortly before the play begins. It is best to bring binoculars or rent a pair in the theater, as the one-act seats are in the nosebleed section, high up in the upper balcony seating.
Kobikichō Square / Kobikichō Hiroba 木挽町広場
Located in the B2 level of the Kabukiza basement since 2013, this is an underground shopping arcade with a variety of restaurants, shops, and stalls selling kabuki-themed items and souvenirs. You can find T-shirts, tenugui, postcards, cosmetic face masks, sweets in kabuki-themed tins, cloth shopping bags, and more. The last time I was there with a friend, we picked up a couple of English-language books on kabuki and looked over the video selection in one of the shops. The square is directly connected to the Higashi Ginza subway station—use exit 3.
Kabukiza Gallery 歌舞伎座ギャラリー
The reconstruction of the Kabukiza theater also involved the construction of the Kabukiza Tower behind the theater. On the fifth floor there is the Kabukiza Gallery, where for a small fee you can see special exhibits, view costumes, and sit on a stage. You can also look at and handle some of the props and sound effect devices. Also on the fifth floor there is a terrace garden with a view of the theater’s roof, a store with various kabuki related items including video discs, a photo studio, and a tea shop to sit and rest.
https://www.kabukiweb.net/about/service/kabukiza_gallery.html
GINZA DETAIL 5
Hōju Inari Jinja 宝珠稲荷神社
Established in 1706 as the home shrine for the daimyō Itakura Shigemasa, today this is one of the larger shrines in the Ginza area and is the tutelary shrine of its neighborhood. It is easy to spot as it is a full-fledged shrine with priest’s residence and office. It is not far from the Kabukiza, near a post office, with stone komainu and a red torii marking the entrance.
DETAIL 6
Shōwadōri Ginza hodōkyō / Showa-dori Ginza Pedestrian Bridge (Tokimeki Bridge) 昭和通り銀座歩道橋(ときめき橋)
This entry is for a pedestrian bridge built in 1997. Now, such bridges are found all over Tokyo to allow people to cross major roadways above the flow of traffic, so why include such a structure? This one is a little different, most such bridges are utilitarian structures with one set of stairs on each side, crossing from one side of a busy boulevard to another and about the width of a regular sidewalk. This bridge is much wider than most, crosses a major highway and a side street, and has an X shape with stairs at four corners of an intersection allowing pedestrians to cross in several directions including diagonally, it also has elevators and escalators that operate during the day. The corners even have areas which are planted with some shrubs adding a bit of greenery to the structure. The unique design of this bridge makes it a landmark, and it has been a location for scenes in movies and TV, both on the bridge and from street level. The bridge is nicknamed the “Ginza Tokimeki-bashi”: “Ginza Heartthrob Bridge.”
GINZA DETAIL 6
Shinbashi Enbujō 新橋演舞場
Originally run by the Shinbashi Enbujō Joint Stock Corporation, this theater was built in 1925 as a place to allow geisha to perform in public. The police had banned such performances in 1905, so permission had to be sought before the theater was built. When the spring and autumn dance performances were over, the theater would be rented out for other events. In 1934 the theater was leased to Shōchiku for kabuki performances, and in 1940 it was taken over by Shōchiku. The theater burned down in the World War II bombings and was rebuilt in 1948 for kabuki and geisha dance performances. In 1981 the Nissan New Building with sixteen stories and five basements opened on the site. This new building still contains the theater, which is mainly used for performances of shinpa, a Meiji-era style of dramatic theater. It is also used for kabuki, bunraku, and traditional dance. Geisha still put on an annual program of dance performances, maintaining that link with the past.
https://www.kabukiweb.net/theatres/shinbashi/
Yasuda Shōkeidō 安田松慶堂
The main shop of a small, prestigious chain specializing in making, selling and repairing handcrafted Buddhist home altars since 1792. They also sell Buddhist statues, incense, sect-specific rosaries, memorial tablets with name engraving, and items for the altars. Designs range from traditional to very modern. There are usually between 150 and 170 altars on display, made with a variety of woods. They also have branch operations in many major department stores.
http://www.yasuda-shokeido.co.jp
http://www.norenkai.net/en/portfolio-item/yasuda-shokeido/