The Tokyo Traveler

The Antique Mall Ginza is home to approximately 300 shops that sell European, Asian and Japanese antiques as well as antique Kimonos, fabric and Japanese furniture.  Visit the shops in the mall to find that one of a kind treasure that will always remind you of your time in Tokyo or pick up some great souvenirs for your friends and family. Conveniently located just off Ginza’s famous Chou Dori, the Antique Mall Ginza is easily accessible from a number of number of Tokyo Metro Stations and is open daily from 11AM to 7PM except on Wednesdays.
Image Credit: Flickr, Things

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Chuo Ward is home to over 100 thousand residents in a 10.1 square kilometer area of central Tokyo.  It is the second smallest ward in Tokyo and the second least populated ward.  Like neighboring Chiyoda Ward, Chuo ward offers visitors and residents a lot of things to do and see despite its small area.
A Brief History
Chuo City, as it stands today, was founded as a ward of Tokyo in 1947 but it’s history dates back to the 1600’s when a powerful Shogun began planning to establish Tokyo, then Edo, as the capital of Japan.   Despite being ravaged …read more

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The neon lights of Ginza are known worldwide, in fact, they are what draw most visitors to the area for a nighttime stroll.  The bright and abundant lights shine down upon an area that is also a center of fashion and architecture and has been since prior to World War II.
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, …read more

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H&M, the trendy budget conscious fashion retailer, is set to open three new stores in Tokyo over the next year and on Saturday, September 13th they will celebrate the grand opening of their first Tokyo Store in the fashionable Ginza district.  They will follow with a store in Harajuku in November and another in trendy Shibuya next fall.
In reporting on the openings, Japan Marketing News describes the various locations and talks about the challenges that H&M faces entering the fickle Japan fashion market.  H&M was established in Sweden in 1947 and has over 1,400 stores in 28 countries.  H&M has …read more

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Named by Fortune as one of the best new business hotels, The Peninsula Hotel Tokyo offers an amazing array of services to its guests. The hotels offers 314 guest rooms, including 47 suites on 24 floors as well as five restaurants, a lounge bar, two ballrooms, six elegantly designed function rooms, a wedding chapel and a Japanese ceremony room.
If you need to plan a meeting, the hotel offers meeting consultants who will assist you with the details, but if your trip to Tokyo doesn’t involve a meeting or if you plan on staying an extra day or two, the hotel …read more

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Japan will be sending a team of 339 athletes to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing which will be captained by Keiji Suzuki, the 2004 Athens Olympic Judo gold medalist.  Ai Fukuhara, a petite table tennis star has the honor of bearing the Japanese Flag, also knows as the Hinomaru, at the games.
At a traditional sendoff ceremony and gala party held for Japan’s Olympic Team last Monday, Crown Prince Naruhito, a member of the Japanese royal family and next in line to become the Emperor of Japan, passed on some words of encouragement to the athletes:
“At such a memorable event, …read more

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Yakitori Alley is located just off of Harumi-Dori Avenue in the Ginza area of Tokyo and stretches for about two blocks.  Many small restaurants, not much bigger than a walk in closet, sit along either side of the lantern lined alley where rickety stools sit alongside Kirin beer crates that act as makeshift tables.  As you enter Yakitori Alley you will be met with a chorus of irishaimase (welcome), the tempting aroma of grilled meat and the festive sounds of patrons relaxing and enjoying the themselves with their friends after a long day at the office.  The atmosphere is …read more

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Forbes has put together a list of Japan’s 10 Most Popular Tourist Attractions and a companion slide show with some great images.  According to Forbes,
“When foreigners go to Japan, Tokyo tops their list of places to see. Seven of the 10 most-visited destinations in the country are in the capital, according to the Japan National Tourist Organization.”

The article offers a brief overview of Asakusa, Ginza, Harajuku, Shinjuku and other areas that have been mentioned here at The Tokyo Traveler and it is worth a read if you are planning a trip to Japan.
Photo Credit:  Personal Collection

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Did you know that there are over 1400 types of chopsticks and 1,100 different ways to hold them? There are even rules about what you should and shouldn’t do with your chopsticks. The Japanese term for chopsticks is hashi and Ginza Natsuno is a store dedicated to everything beautiful about hashi!
On a visit to the branch in Harajuku I was amazed by the variety of hashi available. The walls were covered with hashi in almost every color of the rainbow and there were sizes and styles that I had never seen before.
When you purchase hashi the correct …read more

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Kabuki is a 400 year old traditional Japanese art form.  It is considered classical theater but watching Kabuki is rarely a staid affair.  Originally created by women, since 1629 men have played all of the major roles in a Kabuki drama.  They wear elaborate makeup and costumes and utilize skills taught to them by their fathers and Grandfathers. One of the most recognizable parts of a Kabuki play is the mie, where an actor gyrates his head abruptly, stops completely, and faces the audience, freezing in position for just a moment.  At this point the audience will cheer and …read more

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