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GINZA Q&A

What are the guidelines for the opening of the vehicle-free promenade?

　The vehicle-free promenade on Ginza-dori St. starts with the noon chime on the Wako clock on weekends and public holidays and continues until 6 p.m. in the summer period (April until the end of September) and 5 p.m. in the winter period (October until the end of March). Except for strong wind advisories and heavy snow, it is held almost 100% of the time during those times.
　It is under the jurisdiction of Tsukiji Police Station. Before starting and just before finishing, the Traffic Department workers coordinate traffic signals and work with locals and Ginza stakeholders, efficiently setting up and removing barricades to block vehicular traffic. The vehicle-free promenade is ready once the Ginza Street Association has set up parasols and benches to create rest areas for visitors. There is no set origin for the name “vehicle-free promenade.” In Ginza it is called the Holiday Promenade (“Holipuro” for short) or Hokoten and brings in as many as 300,000 people on sunny days.
　The vehicle-free promenade started in August 1970, about 55 years ago. It was at a time of high economic growth, and concern was growing about environmental problems like traffic congestion and air pollution caused by the sudden increase in number of cars. It was a time when there was a demand for a switch from car-prioritized traffic to pedestrian-centered traffic, in other words, for pedestrian-only streets (car free zones). In Tokyo, they were held simultaneously in Ginza, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, and Asakusa, but only a few places still do it today. The vehicle-free promenade in Ginza has a different meaning from community promotion activities and events held more and more around Ginza in recent years to attract customers.
　Ginza’s vehicle-free promenade prohibits events (e.g., performances or busking), selling items like paintings or goods, and all vehicles including bicycles in order to open a roughly one kilometer strip for enjoyable strolling. During the vehicle-free promenade period, Ginza guides patrol the street to answer questions and look for anything suspicious.
　To commemorate the holding of the vehicle-free promenade, an event aimed at having fun on a summer day is held on the first Saturday every August on Ginza-dori St. Starting in 2024, a scaffold is now set up for Bon-odori dancing, and you can enjoy famous Ginza store food stalls.

(Ginza Street Association)