The name Ginza dates back to 1612, when a silver coin mint was relocated to the area.  Gin is the Japanese word for a silver coin and za refers to a place where coins, as well as other specially authorized goods that required the use of weights and measures, are produced.  The area is no longer home to a mint of the monetary kind but it is one of the priciest real estate markets in Tokyo.

In 1872, after the area was ravaged by fire, the Meiji government ordered that the town be rebuilt using brick architecture which would better protect the area against future fires and make Japan appear more westernized which was one of the hallmarks of the era.  Since that time western and Japanese architects have shown off some of their most creative works in Ginza.  Some of the hallmark buildings in Ginza today include the De Beers, Mikimoto and Swatch buildings and are featured in “Architecture in Tokyo: A Ginza Walk” at PingMag which offers views and information on the interesting architecture found in the area.

Fashionistas, both male and female, have been strutting their stuff in Ginza since the mid 1930’s when moga, modern girls, and mobo, modern boys, began frequenting the area wearing fashionable western style clothing with hairstyles and accessories to match.  Today high end fashion designers such as Chanel, Hermes, Dior, Gucci and Armani offer their wares to brand conscious Japanese and tourists alike along a strip that is the equivalent to New York’s Fifth Avenue.  The latest fashion label to open their doors in Ginza is H&M who celebrated their grand opening this September.

The main street in Ginza is closed to vehicle traffic on weekend afternoons but you can visit the area any day.  Why not plan to spend an afternoon browsing through area shops and and stay until the lights set the area aglow after sunset (area map).

Image Credit: Personal Collection

Post from: The Tokyo Traveler

I’d like to know how the Tokyo and Japan of today compares with the near future vision of William Gibson.

I have to admit that I needed to do a bit of research on this one – there were no softball questions from The Tokyo Traveler readers!

William Gibson is a science fiction writer who has authored a few books where Tokyo is prominently featured. In his 2001 article on WIRED, titled My Own Private Tokyo, Gibson claims “I wish I had a thousand-yen note for every journalist who, over the past decade, has asked me whether Japan is still as futurologically sexy as it seemed to be in the ’80s.” and he goes on to say:

“You can see more chronological strata of futuristic design in a Tokyo streetscape than anywhere else in the world. Like successive layers of Tomorrowlands, older ones showing through when the newer ones start to peel.”

In my opinion Tokyo is a richly layered city and new modern structures often sit beside ancient temples and shrines. Architects in Tokyo are known for their cutting edge designs and there is a never ending flow of construction going on in Tokyo. Some of the cities most interesting structures are featured in PingMag’s Architecture in Tokyo: Omotesando Street, Pt I.

An excerpt from William Gibson’s book Neuromancer describes Tokyo as follows:

“Now he slept in the cheapest coffins, the ones nearest the port, beneath the quartz-halogen floods that lit the docks all night like vast stages; where you couldn’t see the lights of Tokyo for the glare of the television sky, not even the towering hologram logo of the Fuji Electric Company, and the Tokyo Bay was a black expanse where gulls wheeled above drifting shoals of white styrofoam. Behind the port lay the city, factory domes dominated by the vast cubes of corporate arcologies. Port and city were divided by a narrow borderland of older streets, an area with no official name. Night City, with Ninsei its heart. By day, the bars down Ninsei were shuttered and featureless, the neon dead, the holograms inert, waiting, under the poisoned silver sky.” Source: William Gibson Books

The skyline of the city is much like Gibson describes and the phrase “the bars down Ninsei were shuttered and featureless, the neon dead, the holograms inert, waiting” is very descriptive and is a fairly accurate representation of the feeling emitted from some of the areas of Tokyo that are dedicated to night owls. Even some of the prominent spots like Shinjuku and Ginza look a little bit worn out and tired during the day but once the sun goes down and the lights come on there is a vibrancy in the air that is hard to describe.

Here is Shinjuku during the day:

Shinjuku again, this time lit up at night:

With a limited amount of research and without having read any of William Gibson’s books I would have to say that Tokyo does bear a resemblance to Gibson’s “near future vision”.

I hope this answers your questions nicky187. Stay tuned for the answers to other questions throughout June….

Photo Credit: Flickr, Shinjuku & Sunset over Shinjuku

Post from: The Tokyo Traveler

The high-rise tower reaches a height of 198m (650 feet) and houses four floors dedicated to restaurants that feature cuisines running the gamut from traditional Japanese to Brazilian Barbeque and Modern Australian and everything in between.  An additional four floors are dedicated to wide variety of retail stores.  The remaining 30 floors house various corporate offices.

Fusing the rich legacy of Marunouchi with a modern vision for the future, the stately silhouette of this new landmark building was conceived by the globally renowned British architect Sir Michael Hopkins…..the Shin-Marunouchi Building symbolizes the new look and functionality of the Marunouchi Area.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting this great building and enjoyed walking through the art deco inspired lobby on my way to a delicious traditional Japanese Soba lunch at Ishizuki on the 5th floor.  After lunch I took a brief stroll out onto the open-air patio and had the pleasure of looking down on the renovations of Tokyo Station.   I will be heading back soon and recommend that you check it out the next time your are in the area.  (access map & directions)

Photo Credit:  Personal Collection

Post from: The Tokyo Traveler

If you are a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright or just want to see some of the decor from the 1923 hotel be sure to stop by the Old Imperial Bar for a drink or just wander through the lobby of this Tokyo landmark.

Standard room rates start at Y37,800 ($378 US) and run up to Y1,050,000 ($1,050 US) for a suite on one of the Imperial Floors.

IMPERIAL HOTEL TOKYO (map)
1-1, Uchisaiwai-cho 1-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8558
TEL: +81-3-3504-1111
FAX: +81-3-3581-9146

Photo Credit: Flickr, imperial hotel & Wikipedia, Imperial Hotel Wright House

Post from: The Tokyo Traveler

In the west pagodas are symbolic of Asian architecture but the spiritual aspect of the structure is often overlooked. Pagodas were originally built to house Buddhist relics and the remains of prominent Monks. In Japan most pagodas can be found on the sites of Temples and are often secondary in importance to the Temple itself where the Buddha statue is enshrined.

On top of the pagoda you can see an antenna like structure. It is a finial or sourin that combines many symbols of Buddhism. The brass sourin at the Five Story Pagoda in Asakusa has the following elements (from top to bottom with the Japanese term in parenthesis):

• Sacred Wheel (houju) – This is believed to have the power to expel evil, cleanse corruption, and fulfill wishes and is often shown cupped by lotus leaves.
• Dragon Wheel (ryuusha)
• Water Flame (suien) – A charm to protect the pagoda from fire.
• Sacred Rings (horin) – Nine rings representing the Buddhist deities.
• Flower Bowl (ukebana)- Usually an open, upturned lotus flower with 8 petals.
• Reverse Bowl (fukubachi)
• Dew Basin (roban) – This has a very practical purpose. It is to prevent the pagoda from leaking where all the roof elements are joined.

The finial or sourin also functions as a lightning rod.

The next time you see a pagoda take time to enjoy the beauty of the architecture but also take a moment to reflect upon its spiritual symbolism.

Photo Credit: Personal Collection & Source: JAANUS, Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System

Post from: The Tokyo Traveler