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

JFW in TOKYO was set up in 2005 to create a gateway into the world’s fashion industry for up-and-coming designers and to help develop closer ties between the designers, manufacturers, and the retail industry.  While you may not recognize some the brands and designers today, they may well be household names like Issey Miyake, Hanae Mori and Rei Kawakubo (founder of Comme des Garcons) in the next few years.

Some of the 37 participating brands and designers include Mikio Sakabe, Ritsuko Shirahama & BOUTIQUE NICOLE by Kyoko Higa.  Images of the collections can be found at JFW/TYO or at the Yomiuri Online Fashion Special (the words are in Japanese but the pictures transcend language).

If you missed the Tokyo Collection you can still see the Japan Fashion Week Designers’ Exhibition at Yoyogi National Stadium (1st Gymnasium – map) from September 9th through the 11th.

It all seems a little avante garde to me, who is your favorite designer?  Can you picture any of these looks on the streets of your hometown?

Image credit:  Flickr, profile

Post from: The Tokyo Traveler