{"id":399,"date":"2015-04-23T21:24:24","date_gmt":"2015-04-23T12:24:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ginzaofficial.sakura.ne.jp\/?page_id=399"},"modified":"2022-11-29T17:56:04","modified_gmt":"2022-11-29T08:56:04","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ginza.jp\/en\/history","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"

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History<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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Owariya version\u3000Partial Map of Edo Tsukiji Hatchobori Nihonbashi Ezu (Tsukiji Hatchobori Nihonbashi Map) (1857)<\/p>\n

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Ginza in the Edo Period<\/h2>\n
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The district name, \u201cGinza\u201d originated from the Ginza Yakusho (government office) in the Edo period. In 1603, the Edo Shogunate founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu moved the silver coin mint from Sunpu to its current location of Ginza 2-Chome. The town\u2019s official name was Shin-ryogae-cho (meaning \u201cnew money exchange town\u201d), but it came to be known colloquially as \u201cGinza.\u201d
\nSome people say that Ginza used to be in the ocean, but it is not the case that the entire Ginza perimeter was completely submerged prior to the Edo period. It is thought that what is known as \u201cGinza\u201d today was low marshes at the tip of a peninsula called Edomaejima largely jutting out from Tokyo Bay. The building of Edo city then began with the reclaiming of these marshes, Hibiya inlet and the Tsukiji area.<\/div>\n
An organization called \u201cGinza\u201d was established to create silver coins for the Shogunate and consisted of a governmental office in charge of buying and managing the silver as well as clerical work and a factory for casting the silver coins. Incidentally, Kinza, the place for dealing with gold, was in the current location of the Bank of Japan head office in Nihonbashi.<\/div>\n
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Ginza Hassho no chi (Origin of Ginza) monument on Ginza-dori 2-Chome<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sumpu Ginza Hassho no chi (Origin of Sumpu Ginza) monument near the JR Shizuoka station<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

As the \u201cGinza\u201d organization had privileged rights for handling silver, there were tremendous profits, and the \u201cGinza\u201d bureaucrats were quite prosperous. After numerous cases of bribery, \u201cGinza\u201d was moved to Kakigara-cho in Nihonbashi in 1800. Despite this, the name \u201cGinza\u201d stayed behind.
\nGinza was also home to \u201cShuza\u201d (that handled cinnabar), \u201cObanza\u201d (that received special privileges from the Shogunate to cast gold coins to be used as gifts), and \u201cFundoza\u201d (that produced and sold standard weights used in measuring scales; ingots for making coins were also stored in this form), among others. Incidentally, eight fundo weights were used in the logo of the Ginza Street Association that was established during the Taisho period.<\/div>\n
Ginza was mostly inhabited by artisans. Nevertheless, the area around Owari was quite bustling. What is currently the intersection between Chuo-dori and Miyuki-dori was lined with rows of kimono shops, including Ebisuya, Kameya and Hoteiya that were said to have been very prosperous, on par with Mitsui Echigoya in Nihonbashi.<\/div>\n
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The current Ginza-dori and Miyuki-dori intersection in the early 19th century. Hoteiya, Kameya and Ebisuya kimono shops line Owari-cho. From the 1835 Edo Meisho Zue (Guide to famous Edo sites).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Ginza also held the residences that were specially bestowed by the Shogunate to Noh players of the Kanze, Konparu and Kongo schools. Relevant individuals occupied the surrounding areas. Masters of the Konparu style later became the Konparu geisha who were the foundation of the current Shinbashi geisha. The Kobiki-cho area was lined with rows of theaters and was the famous area where the Kano Painting School was located. A fruit and vegetable market and bamboo riverside market (selling bamboo for building material) were set up along the Kyobashi River, making it very lively.
\nGinza was thus a place where large bustling shops lined its main street that was also a part of Tokaido, the Edo-Kyoto highway beginning in Nihonbashi., On the one hand, it was a place where lively trade by boats took place in the surrounding river, and on the other hand a place with stretches of artisan villages and the home to Noh players, Kabuki actors, masters of the Tokiwazu style of joruri narrative used for kabuki dances and painters.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Ginza Hassho no chi (Origin of Ginza) monument on Ginza-dori 2-Chome<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sumpu Ginza Hassho no chi (Origin of Sumpu Ginza) monument near the JR Shizuoka station<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The current Ginza-dori and Miyuki-dori intersection in the early 19th century. Hoteiya, Kameya and Ebisuya kimono shops line Owari-cho. From the 1835 Edo Meisho Zue (Guide to famous Edo sites).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Tokio Dai-ni Meisho Ginza-dori Renga-ishi no Zu (Illustration of Ginza brickstone in Tokyo No. 2 Landmarks) Hiroshige (3rd) 1874<\/p>\n

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Ginza in the Meiji and Taisho eras<\/h2>\n
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Ginza that was bursting with energy throughout the Genroku era temporarily fell out of fashion in the Bunka and Bunsei eras. By the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, it had become quite neglected.
\nThen, following a huge fire in 1872, it was reborn as a Westernized Rengagai, or \u201cBricktown\u201d built by the Meiji government, designed by a British architect called Thomas James Waters.
\nThe project had two central pillars: (1) rebuild the streets with a focus on increasing the width, and (2) build fireproof Western-style houses mainly of brick. The government spent 1\/27 of their budget, an enormous sum, for construction.
\nAt the end of construction, the main street was widened to 27 meters, more than twice as wide as the previous street, and was separated into a vehicle zone and a pedestrian sidewalk. The sidewalks were also laid with brick. Gaslamps were installed and cherry blossom, pine and maple trees were planted along the street. Based on the district block system used until then, the so-called Hachiken street and Goken street were built and became a neat grid. Needless to say, it was the foundation for the current Ginza blocks.
\nThe brick houses were built in the Georgian architectural style. An overhanging balcony on the second floor was supported by circular columns and covered a veranda below. These houses were built in sequence from 1-Chome. Once the brick houses were completed, they were sold off by the government to civilians. Despite the extremely high price of the buildings, the brick was poor quality and quickly became damp from humidity, often causing the houses to become ruined in no time. As a result, the area was full of houses that remained vacant from the very start.<\/div>\n
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Ginza brick monument and gas lamp replica in Kyobashi<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Bringing Together all the Latest Products and Merchants<\/h3>\n
The year of 1872 was also the year that Japan\u2019s first railway, connecting Yokohama and Shimbashi, was completed. Ginza was also the shopping area in front of Shimbashi station, and merchant after merchant opened up shops there to sell the imports and the latest hot products. There were all sorts of shops \u2014 western-style restaurants, bakeries, bag vendors, sukiyaki restaurants, clock dealers, western-style furniture shops, western-style clothing shops, and much more. These strongly enterprising merchants set up window displays in their shop fronts. Unlike their pre-Meiji counterparts where vendors sat down in shops floored with tatami mats, these new style of shops were set up so that customers could freely enter and look at the items for sale with their shoes still on.
\nGinza began take shape as the town where people could enjoy watching a western-style cityscape and enjoy window shopping \u2014 in other words, a town where they could enjoy a nice stroll that would later come to be called \u201cGin-bura.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Sundries shop selling western goods\u3000Iseya (Ginza 2-Chome)<\/p>\n

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Clocks, spectacles, surveying instruments\u3000Tamaya (Ginza 3-Chome)<\/p>\n

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Western wine depot Shimizuya Trading Co. (Owari-cho 1-Chome)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Information Publishing Hub<\/h3>\n
Another distinctive characteristic of Ginza was the foray of newspaper publishers. Journalists that were sensitive to what was hot and new assembled in the fashionable district that gathered all things western. Shimbashi station was also a hub for distributing goods to rural areas. There was even a point in time when newspaper publishers were located on all the Owari-cho intersections (Ginza 4-Chome intersections). The newspaper publishers were followed by magazine publishers, then printing houses, advertising firms and so on, making Ginza a mega information publishing hub.<\/div>\n
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Tokio Meisho Ginza-dori Asano Shimbun-sha Seidai no Shinzu (Tokyo Landscape: Illustration depicting the thriving Asano Newspaper Company in Ginza-dori) Hiroshige (3rd) 1879 Asano Newspaper Company where the Wako department store now stands on Ginza 4-Chome<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The beginning of \u201cGin-bura\u201d<\/h3>\n
As the Meiji era passed the halfway point, bazaars began to appear. These bazaars were similar to today\u2019s department stores or multi-tenant commercial buildings. Lining both sides of roughly two and a half meter wide aisles were small shops selling toys, picture books, writing materials, and various other miscellaneous goods. The buildings were constructed so that you would spiral up the gently sloping aisle until you reached the top floor of the building, then begin a gentle descent. In 1902, seven such bazaars were standing on Ginza Chuo-dori.<\/div>\n
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Bazaar Hakuhinkan<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Ginza thus became a place where many people gathered, but shopping was not the only objective. People began to think it cool to simply walk through Ginza and to consider meeting up in Ginza to be the forefront of the era. The phrase \u201cGin-bura,\u201d to mean wandering around Ginza, emerged in 1915-16. There are many theories for the word\u2019s origin.
\nThe phrase \u201cwander through Ginza\u201d was of course commonplace, but, in addition to this, there was also the phrase, \u201cGin-no-bura\u201d that had a negative nuance, referring to hoodlums in Ginza. This phrase may have become modified into the word \u201cGin-bura\u201d to mean walking through Ginza with no purpose in mind. Another story is that students of Keio University would go to Ginza for a cup of Brazilian coffee, still a novelty at the time, an activity they would refer to as \u201cGinza de Brazil coffee\u201d, which was shortened to \u201cGin-bura.\u201d
\nEither way, the word \u201cGin-bura\u201d stuck, becoming adopted into regular speech and even coming to appear in the Kojien Japanese Dictionary. Today, the word is essential for describing the allure of the Ginza district.<\/div>\n

Caf\u00e9 Printemps<\/h3>\n
The event that epitomized Ginza as a place to long for, a place at the cutting edge, and a special place where cultural figures gathered was the opening of Caf\u00e9 Printemps. In 1911, when the painter Shozo (or Seiso) Matsuyama returned from Paris, he tried to reproduce the atmosphere of the Parisian caf\u00e9s. The naming of his caf\u00e9 was assisted by Kaoru Osanai (Playwrite) and the interior design by a young Ryusei Kishida (Artist). As many people did not know what a caf\u00e9 was, a number of people were solicited as sponsors. Those sponsors included big-time authors like Kafu Nagai and Ogai Mori as well as geisha from Shimbashi and Akasaka. In addition to coffee blended by a shop run by an Italian in Yokohama and whiskey, brandy and other foreign alcohol, the Caf\u00e9 also offered various types of liqueurs. It became a thriving social venue where literary figures and painters with experience traveling abroad came to gather. Up until then, there was nowhere in Japan that could act as an easygoing social lounge for holding lively discussions, meeting up with people, or dropping in for a quick cup of tea.
\nCaf\u00e9 Printemps was soon followed one after another by the Caf\u00e9 Paulista, Caf\u00e9 Lion, Tiger and so on. While each of these caf\u00e9s had their own distinctive qualities, they all set adrift a desirable western mood. In addition to letting its customers enjoy the taste of feeling fashionable by simply being there, the caf\u00e9s also acted as social lounges.
\nEvery move made by the famous people who gathered in the caf\u00e9s became the object of admiration and the buzz of the town, and, it goes without saying, largely helped form Ginza\u2019s image.<\/div>\n
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Picture postcard to commemorate the 1925 expansion of Cafe Tiger that opened the previous year<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Establishment of the Ginza Street Association<\/h3>\n
By the beginning of the Taisho period, Ginza\u2019s Bricktown had become remodeled to look exquisitely Japanese through the creative efforts of its residents who made it livable by their standards. In addition to laying down tatami mat flooring inside for carrying on a Japanese style of living, noren curtains were hung in the facades and extensions were added to many buildings to make them look truly Japanese.
\nThe street side trees were switched from cherry blossom, pine and maple to willows. Willow trees became established as the official street side tree of Ginza, so much to the extent that the thought of Ginza evoked an image of willow trees. Then, a plan was put forth by the city of Tokyo to renovate Ginza-dori t hat included widening the road, removing the willows and planting ginkgo trees in their place, and paving the sidewalks in concrete.<\/div>\n
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Ginza-dori around in 1902. Bricktown has become distinctively more Japanese<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The local residents voiced strong opposition to these plans, and especially to the removal of the willow trees, which led to the establishment in 1919 of the Kyoshin Association as an alliance of shops along Ginza -dori. The removal of willow trees went so far as to become an issue in the city council, but the plan was pushed through by Mayor Shinpei Goto and all the willows were removed in 1921.
\nSoon after, the Great Kanto Earthquake struck and a movement began to bring back the willow trees. In 1932, willow trees were revived in Ginza as the street side tree.
\nThe Kyoshin Association later changed its name to the Ginza Street Association and was joined by the shops along Harumi-dori following the war. It has continued and still continues to preserve the prosperity and protect the safety and security of the Ginza district.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Ginza brick monument and gas lamp replica in Kyobashi<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sundries shop selling western goods\u3000Iseya (Ginza 2-Chome)<\/p>\n

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Clocks, spectacles, surveying instruments\u3000Tamaya (Ginza 3-Chome)<\/p>\n

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Western wine depot Shimizuya Trading Co. (Owari-cho 1-Chome)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Tokio Meisho Ginza-dori Asano Shimbun-sha Seidai no Shinzu (Tokyo Landscape: Illustration depicting the thriving Asano Newspaper Company in Ginza-dori) Hiroshige (3rd) 1879 Asano Newspaper Company where the Wako department store now stands on Ginza 4-Chome<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Bazaar Hakuhinkan<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Picture postcard to commemorate the 1925 expansion of Cafe Tiger that opened the previous year<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ginza-dori around in 1902. Bricktown has become distinctively more Japanese<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ginza willow tree monument<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Near the Ginza 4-Chome intersection in the aftermath of the Great Kanto Earthquake. The Kabuki-za Theater is shown in the upper right<\/p>\n

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The Great Kanto Earthquake and the War<\/h2>\n
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Reconstruction after the Earthquake<\/h3>\n
On September 1, 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake almost completely destroyed Bricktown that represented Ginza following the Meiji period. Not only did the brick come crumbling down, but it was even reduced to ashes by fires in most areas.
\nThe Ginza shops banded together and began efforts towards reconstruction, which was touchingly portrayed by Takitaro Minakami in his novel, Ginza Fukko (\u201cThe Reconstruction of Ginza\u201d).
\nThe shops along Ginza -dori worked tirelessly to restore what was lost. They built a barrack and decided to open their shops en masse on November 10. Avant-garde artists designed the facade of the barrack. The artists employed a modern design style that emerged within the unrestricted atmosphere of the Taisho era, with some being quite outlandish. It created a unique scenery in Ginza and was widely talked about.
\nThe City of Tokyo also set forth their plans for reconstruction from the earthquake, with a major change for Ginza being to widen Harumi-dori and newly construct Showa-dori. If you look closely at a map of Ginza, you can see that the 4-Chome block is smaller than the rest. This is because of the widening of Harumi-dori.<\/div>\n

The Emergence of Department Stores<\/h3>\n
During the reconstruction period, department stores appeared in Ginza for the first time. It began with the opening of Matsuzakaya in 1924. The practice of removing your shoes was abandoned and the revolutionary new style of building allowed wearing of street shoes throughout its entire premises. It launched many new business techniques, for example offering free shuttle buses from Yurakucho and Shimbashi stations and setting up a zoo on the roof. The zoos even housed large animals like leopards and lions.\u3002
\nThe Matsuya department store opened in 1925. The shops surrounded an open area in the center and the building held an aquarium. Mitsukoshi opened in 1930. While the development of these three large scale department stores was a cause of concern for the local specialty shops, it actually acted to raise the competitive power of the shops. It was during this time that we began to see the coexistence and co-prosperity of department stores and specialty shops that is a prime feature of Ginza.
\nThe department stores attracted new customers to Ginza and increased the momentum of reconstruction efforts. In 1929, the real-estate rent in Ginza became the highest in Japan for the first time, surpassing that of Nihonbashi. Shopping streets began popping up all over the country with \u201cGinza\u201d in their name.
\nThe motion picture and theater district was developed in Hibiya by Ichizo Kobayashi of Hankyu Railway around this time. In 1934, the subway that was extended from Asakusa finally made its way to Ginza. Customers from Asakusa that was the top-most shopping district at the time were also brought into Ginza. Ginza thus came to be known as the established leader of districts in Japan.<\/div>\n
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Ginza 6-Chome in 1933. The large building in the front is Matsuzakaya and the ones in the distance are Mitsukoshi and Matsuya<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Zenith of Caf\u00e9s<\/h3>\n
Ginza, that gained top place in Japan as a shopping area where department stores and upscale specialty shops converged, was home to modern caf\u00e9s, bars and small coffee shops and restaurants, creating a glamorous night scene. Police surveys from 1929 show Ginza\u2019s caf\u00e9s and bars to number as many as about 600.
\nWhile the Japanese economy was struggling with the Great Depression, massive caf\u00e9s financed by Osaka businesses opened up along Ginza-dori, lighting up splashy neon signs.
\nSo-called mobos and mogas (short for modan boi and modan garu, or \u201cmodern boy\u201d and \u201cmodern girl\u201d) strutted through the street. Mobos had slicked back hair topped with a Borsalino hat, wore sailor trousers and round glasses with thick plastic rims and carried a walking stick. Mogas wore their hair in an Eton crop and painted their eyebrows. They wore kimonos with daring new patterns and the latest western fashion, strolling swankily as if they were stage actresses.
\nThis was also a time when the popularity of records exploded, and songs centered on a Ginza theme were published one and another. One that became a massive hit and remains well-known today is Tokyo Koshinkyoku (\u201cTokyo March\u201d; lyrics by Yaso Saijo, music by Shinpei Nakayama). The lyrics, \u201cjazz de odotte rikyuuru de fukete, akerya dansaa no namida-ame,\u201d meaning \u201cdance the night away with jazz and liqueur, at sunrise the dancer\u2019s tearful rain lightly falls,\u201d epitomize the mood of the era that was the zenith of caf\u00e9s.<\/div>\n
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Dazzling neon lights of cafes shine near the Ginza 2-Chome intersection in the early Showa period (1920s and ’30s<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The War<\/h3>\n
While people were being swept away by a mood of pleasure and self-indulgence, Japan launched firmly into the War. In the streets of Ginza where mogas strut, members of the women\u2019s society stood claiming that \u201cluxury was the enemy\u201d and urging people to \u201cstop wearing perms.\u201d The year of 1944 came, and street lamps and tram rails were dismantled to be used as military supplies. Major theaters including the Kabuki-za Theater were ordered to close, and the shining neon lights went out. Because food was so scarce, some people even cultivated land in Ginza into fields.<\/div>\n
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Fund-raising by the women’s society Imon Day (to collect funds for sending care packages to soldiers on the front) in front of Matsuya. Mid-1930s<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The first air raid on Ginza came on January 27, 1945. Taimei Elementary School was directly hit by a bomb that day, killing the teachers.
\nThe air raids continued on March 9 and 10 and on May 25, bringing almost the entire Ginza district to ashes. Many stories from the war remain, including stories of shopkeepers who evacuated their families and stayed behind alone to protect their shops, stories of people who escaped the bombs by running for shelter to the underground of the Toshiba Building during a raid, stories of people born and raised in Ginza who were evacuated and had to labor through life in the countryside for the first time, and countless others.<\/div>\n
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Burnt ruins. View of Ginza and Yurakucho from Tsukiji (source: Mainichi Newspaper)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Ginza 6-Chome in 1933. The large building in the front is Matsuzakaya and the ones in the distance are Mitsukoshi and Matsuya<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Dazzling neon lights of cafes shine near the Ginza 2-Chome intersection in the early Showa period (1920s and ’30s<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Fund-raising by the women’s society Imon Day (to collect funds for sending care packages to soldiers on the front) in front of Matsuya. Mid-1930s<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Burnt ruins. View of Ginza and Yurakucho from Tsukiji (source: Mainichi Newspaper)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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History<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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Street signs were put up that were easy for US troops to understand and the names of streets were changed. 1945<\/p>\n

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\u6226\u5f8c\u306e\u5fa9\u8208\u304b\u3089\u9ad8\u5ea6\u7d4c\u6e08\u6210\u9577\u3078<\/h2>\n
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Ginza During the Occupation<\/h3>\n
The war came to an end on August 15, 1945. On September 8, the occupation forces of the Allied Powers rode in an endless string of jeeps, transport vehicles and tanks through Ginza, to the surprise of the people there.
\nK. Hattori and the Matsuya department store, large buildings that survived the fires, were requisitioned as Post Exchanges (specialty shops for the US troops). The occupation forces renamed the streets of Ginza with names they could easily understand and put up English street signs.
\nThe people working in Ginza\u2019s shopping area were mired in confusion and set up their own reconstruction plans to protect Ginza from malicious illegal traders who tried to sneak their way in and to bring the bustling crowds back to the district as soon as possible. As early as April, 1946, they put on a Ginza Reconstruction Festival. It is said that 180 shops reopened on Ginza -dori during this festival.<\/div>\n
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Street stalls on Ginza-dori just after the war<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

In addition to the regular shops, street stalls also lined up along Ginza -dori, selling souvenirs, clothing, food, children\u2019s toys and other goods to the US troops. They lit acetylene electric lamps at night, creating a unique atmosphere. Although the street stalls played a significant role in the reconstruction of business in Ginza and many people remembered them as a feature of the district, they were ordered to be shut down by the GHQ (General Headquarters) in 1951 because of illegal business and unsanitary conditions.
\nThe San Francisco Peace Treaty was then signed, and in April, 1952, the following year, K. Hattori, Matsuya and other property was returned to Japan, finally setting off the start of full-scale recovery.<\/div>\n

Moat Filling and Expressways<\/h3>\n
While the burnt ruins of Ginza made a strong comeback through the efforts of its merchants, piles of wreckage remained here and there left behind by the air raids. It is said that the center median of Showa-dori was filled with endless mountains of wreckage.
\nAfter puzzling over what to do with the wreckage, it was decided to use it to fill up the 50 meter wide moat that was already dirty and filled with masses of junk.
\nNot only Ginza, but all the districts of Tokyo were waterfront districts or river transport districts, but the times changed, and the people of Tokyo were pushing hard to shift towards economic growth and vehicle-centered transportation. There were some people who opposed the filling of the moat in Ginza, but the opportunity was taken so far as to fill up all the rivers surrounding Ginza. Ginza went from being surrounded by rivers to being surrounded by expressways. The names of bridges remain today as the names of numerous intersections, including Kyobashi, Shimbashi, Sukiyabashi and Miharabashi. The vestiges of Hashizume Park that was located at the foot of a bridge provides one of the few green areas in Ginza.
\nAround the mid-50\u2032s, movies set in Ginza often featured water scenes, for example with a couple enjoying a boat ride after a date in Ginza. The radio drama, Kimi no na wa (\u201cWhat is your name?\u201d) that dominated the genre was also set on Sukiyabashi bridge crossing over the outer moat.
\nThe area from Kyobashi river to the outer moat and Shiodome river became a highway building owned by Japan\u2019s only private expressway company with a road running over the roof of the shop building.<\/div>\n
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A water-bus ran along Shiodome river. Near Ginza 8-Chome in 1959.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

From Streetcars to Subways<\/h3>\n
Along with filling the outer moat, construction of new subway lines also progressed. Subway stations opened in Ginza one after another, with the Eidan Subway Marunouchi Line Nishi-Ginza (west Ginza) station (currently the Ginza station) completed in 1957, the Metropolitan Subway Asakusa Line Higashi-Ginza (east Ginza) station in 1963, and the Hibiya Line Ginza station in 1964. That was also the year that the subway section between Higashi-Ginza and Nishi-Ginza opened.
\nIn 1967, the Toden streetcar Ginza line was finally shut down for good. Streetcar lines had crisscrossed Tokyo up until the mid-\u201850s, acting as a valuable method of transportation. As motor traffic progressed and the number of automobiles on the roads increased, the trams ended up clogging traffic. The sight of trams running through Ginza -dori had already become a common feature of that area. On the night of December 9, the final night of the Toden streetcars, throngs of people filled Ginza-dori to reluctantly bid farewell to their beloved trams.
\nThe Yurakucho Line Ginza 1-Chome station opened in 1974, so that a total of 5 subway lines cross through Ginza. Today it has become a subway district, with as many as 155 million people passengers each year.
\n\uff1eClick here for details on Ginza and the subway system (in Japanese)<\/a><\/div>\n
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Ginza-dori on the final day of the Toden streetcars<\/p>\n

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A crowd of people crams into the last tram<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Large Ginza Era<\/h3>\n
The area between the 50 meter wide moat that was filled and the Tsukiji river further to the left that flowed eastward was called Kobiki-cho. When Tokugawa Ieyasu rebuilt Edo castle, he housed the Kobiki shokunin, or \u201csawyers,\u201d in that area, thus earning it the name \u201cKobiki-cho,\u201d meaning \u201csawyer-town.\u201d However, in 1951, the name of Ginza\u2019s neighboring town of Kobiki-cho was changed to Ginza-higashi (east Ginza).
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\nIn addition to the Ginza from prior to the war, there was also a Ginza-nishi (west Ginza). In 1968, Ginza-nishi became \u201cGinza\u201d, and the following year Ginza-higashi also became \u201cGinza.\u201d Although Ginza thus fused into one large district, triggering the start of organizations like the Zen-Ginza-kai (= \u201cGinza association\u201d), the vestiges of the past district names remain, used in classification of neighborhoods associations. In addition, the shrines for each area are still divided so that Ginza-nishi and Ginza people visit Hie Shrine, and Kobiki-cho people visit Teppo-zu Inari Shrine.<\/div>\n

Major Renovation of Ginza -dori, the Ginza Festival and the Pedestrian Paradise<\/h3>\n
The Construction Ministry took the shutting down of the trams as an opportunity for major renovations of Ginza -dori. The main idea was to remove accessories from the street as much as possible and create a modern road that was well-suited for the coming car-oriented society.
\nThe plans specifically included:
\nRemoving utility poles and power lines and moving the power lines to underground public utility conduits together with gas, water and telephone lines;
\nWidening the street and paving it with granite, using the granite that had previously been used as paving stones for the streetcar rails;
\nRemove the willow trees from the sides of the street and plant short Indian Hawthorn shrubs;
\nRedesign the street lamps and change them into gaslamp-style multi halogen lamps;
\nand others.
\nThe year of 1968, the year the plans were completed, also marked 100 years after the start of the Meiji era. In Ginza, which had played an important role in the development of modern Japan with the building of the Meiji Bricktown, the \u201cMeiji 100 Year Anniversary Grand Ginza Festival\u201d was held in October of that year. The extremely glamorous festival, during which the district was colorfully decorated and light-covered cars drove in a parade down Ginza -dori, became a major Ginza event, and continued to be held annually with various themes each year until 1999.
\nOn August 2, 1970, Ginza -dori was closed to traffic to become a pedestrian paradise for the first time. The pedestrian paradise was called a \u201cHoliday Promenade,\u201d and the name was thereafter used to call the first Sunday in August a \u201cHoliday Promenade,\u201d during which events are held each year.
\nThe pedestrian paradise has become completely established as the rule for Ginza on holidays. In the beginning, a pedestrian promenade was also created in Shinjuku, Ikebukuro and Asakusa, but Ginza is currently the only district to continue this custom.<\/div>\n
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The First Grand Ginza Festival<\/p>\n

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The First Ginza Festival<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ginza Chuo-dori crowded with people on the first day of the pedestrian paradise. Taken on August 2, 1970 (source: Yomiuri Shimbun)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Rapid Economic Growth and the Oil Crisis<\/h3>\n
It was 1956 when the Economic White Paper stated that \u201cThe postwar period is over.\u201d Japan\u2019s economic growth following the war sped forward so fast that Japan went on to hold the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 and was determined to have the second largest GNP in the world in 1969.
\nSpurred by that success, Ginza was vastly transformed during the period from the mid-50\u2032s to the mid-60\u2032s, with the filling of the moats, building of highways, expansion of the subway system, removal of the trams, renovation of Ginza-dori, launching of new festivals, and much more.
\nWooden buildings constructed right after the war were replaced one by one with larger stone and concrete buildings. In 1966, the completion of the Sony Building at the Sukiyabashi intersection was the start of high profile buildings popping up one after another, including the Sannai Building on the 4-Chome intersection, the Toshiba Building that is the largest building in Ginza, the Ginza Lion Building, Ginza Boeki Building(Meitetsu Melsa), Shiseido The Ginza, and more.
\nThen, the prosperity came to a standstill in 1973 when the Oil Crisis struck. As a result of the Fourth Middle Eastern War, oil prices rose, production was cut and supplies were restricted. The Japanese government responded by cutting oil and power by 10% and proposing restraint from using private vehicles, which drove housewives streaming to the shops to stock up on toilet paper and other necessities.
\nThe Ginza department stores reduced their opening hours and the neon signs that had come to symbolize the entertainment district flickered out. The Ginza Street Association lobbied the government to ease restrictions on the neon signs.<\/div>\n

Establishment of the Ginza Charter<\/h3>\n
In 1984, the Ginza Street Association established a Ginza Charter:
\n\u201cGinza is a traditional district that is bursting with originality;
\nGinza is a highly dignified district with highly developed culture;
\nGinza is a fun district that is overflowing with internationalism.\u201d
\nIt was also supplemented with a Code of Conduct:<\/div>\n
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The Ginza Charter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

1.With meticulous customer service, always provide the best global products and knowledge selected from a modern viewpoint to increase the cultural quality of Ginza;
\n2.Enhance cooperative ties among areas and expand the size and number of joint events to strengthen the appeal of Ginza\u2019s image;
\n3.Based on mutual trust, increase Ginza\u2019s dignity and appeal through competition that is both fair and moderate;
\n4.Strive to invite cultural facilities, promote cultural and information projects, and hold cultural and other events;
\n5.As a global business district, strive to build a high-standard, original landscape, and a fun atmosphere;
\n6.Lay out a framework for a district that enables visitors from any country to safely and enjoyably walk its streets and achieve their objective;
\n7.As an extensive trade area, enhance the hospitality function and construct a transportation network that is convenient for visitors from any area;
\n8.Strive to build an even more personal district strengthening Ginza and adjacent area\u2019s habitability.<\/div>\n

Ginza in the Bubble Years<\/h3>\n
Following the Oil Crisis, the economy once again rebounded, and an unparalleled economic boom began around the mid-\u201980s, referred to as the \u201cBubble Economy.\u201d While Ginza also saw its fair share of large money exchanges, successions of glamorous parties and long lines of people waiting for taxis, the real change was taking place elsewhere \u2014 it was during this time that a number of financial institutions opened branches on Ginza-dori.
\nLooking back across history, the establishments that thrived the most at the time opened shops on Ginza-dori. For example, during the Meiji Bricktown period, it was shops selling western goods, and during the early Showa period, it was caf\u00e9s. Similarly, numerous banks, brokerage houses and other financial institutions opened branches along Ginza-dori during the years of the asset-inflated \u201cBubble Economy.\u201d Financial institutions are not places to enjoy shopping. Moreover, at 3 o-clock, which is when most visitors to Ginza are still out shopping, they are already closing. This situation was less than ideal from the viewpoint of creating a bustling district.
\nNot only that, but the already high land prices in Ginza skyrocketed even further, actually stopping buying and selling activities. During this period, parts of other districts were frequently bought up by land sharks, transforming those districts, but this did not happen to a large scale in Ginza.<\/div>\n

Bursting of the Economic Bubble and Easing of Regulations<\/h3>\n
Following the bubble\u2019s implosion, the economy grew stagnant. With absolutely no prospects in sight for recovery, landowners in Ginza had great difficulty paying taxes on the extremely high land prices. People who did not invest in the land with the aim of making money, but rather to protect the land they inherited from their ancestors, had to pay property taxes, inheritance taxes and other taxes due to land appraisal that was completely unrelated to their own business.
\nRegulations at the time decreed that the gross floor area of buildings being rebuilt must be smaller than that of initial construction , which prevented rebuilding of buildings constructed soon after the end of the war and led them to become decrepit. In 1995, the people of Ginza including those who belonged to the Ginza Street Association began lobbying the Chuo Ward administration, City of Tokyo and the Construction Ministry to make the floor area ratio on par with that of Marunouchi.
\nDrawing on that concept, the Construction Ministry set up a system called \u201cFunction Update Intensive Land Use Districts.\u201d District planning of Ginza was established based on that system and under negotiation with Chuo Ward.<\/div>\n
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The Ginza map is designated by ordinance to have two types of district planning sectors. The maximum building height is 56 m for both.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Formation of the \u201cVision for Urban Planning in Ginza\u201d<\/h3>\n
The basic framework for Ginza was defined by the district planning \u201cGinza Rules,\u201d and the Ginza Street Association formulated a \u201cVision for Urban Planning in Ginza\u201d to summarize the underlying concepts. This was part of a project to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Ginza Street Association\u2019s founding.<\/div>\n
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Vision for Urban Planning<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Vision proposed 3 main objectives for urban planning.
\nThe first was to reclaim the waterfront and revitalize the alleyways. Since the Edo era, Ginza had been a waterfront district encompassed by canals and rivers. Also, the streets set up in a grid-like system were dissected by an extensive network of alleyways in which people lived vibrant lives. Then, the waterfront was swept away in the waves of motorization and the alleyways began to disappear as the buildings got larger and larger. In light of this history, the Vision proposed urban planning that facilitates the co-existence of old and new, for example by creating an environment that is rich in water and greenery and by redefining the alleyways to create places for people to comfortably rest and relax.
\nThe second objective was to plan a new type of \u201cGin-bura.\u201d Ginza is a fun district to walk in that is embodied by the phrase \u201cGin-bura.\u201d The aim of urban planning thus became reconsidering the district from the chief viewpoint of walking, considering points to make it barrier free, having each street present its own unique style to provide places for exciting encounters, and creating a beautiful scenery. It also included the creation of systems to remove street-parking and consideration of public transportation systems such as a \u201cPark & Ride\u201d shuttle bus service and LRT (Light Rail Transit) to eliminate vehicular traffic throughout the district.
\nThe third philosophy was to create new Ginza culture. Although Ginza is primarily a shopping district, districts do not develop through the economy alone. If anything, Ginza\u2019s history has been marked with unique culture that has developed in tune with each era, and that was what supported the development of the district. The Vision proposed creating systems that would produce momentum for cultural creativity by providing young artists a place to work and facilitating the emergence of new socio-cultural value and the transmission of information.<\/div>\n

Revision of the Grand Ginza Festival and Establishment of the Zen-Ginza-kai (Ginza Association)<\/h3>\n
In the fall of 1999, the 32nd Grand Ginza Festival was the last of its kind that had been held annually since 1968.
\nOn December 31 of that year, a massive \u201cCountdown to 2000\u2033 was held on the Ginza 4-Chome intersection. No festival was held in fall 2000, and the All Ginza Event Executive Committee was established, thereafter spending many days deliberating what would be the most appropriate Ginza festival for the new 21st century.<\/div>\n
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A countdown was held on the Ginza 4-Chome intersection on December 31, 1999.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

An event to commemorate the conclusion of a free-trade agreement between Japan and Singapore was taken as an opportunity to hold Ginza Accueille in 2001 as a new Ginza festival. In the Grand Ginza Festival of the past, planning and running the event was delegated to advertising agencies. In contrast, the new festival was devised and created by hand by the people of Ginza.<\/div>\n
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Ginza Accueille opening ceremony<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The event, in which Ginza vigorously came together as one united district, triggered the dissolution of the Ginza Liaison Council comprised of the 23 block associations, street associations, merchant\u2019s associations, cooperatives, trade associations, and private groups in Ginza\u2019s 8 block divisions, in favor of forming a new Zen-Ginza-kai (= \u201cGinza association\u201d). Whereas the Ginza Liaison Council was only a liaison for reporting and information exchange, the new Ginza Association that was created is an official organization with a code of practice and executive officers who are elected to the board. It is a more in-depth decision-making body for the entire district of Ginza that carries out events, urban planning and other activities and requires membership fees for operation.<\/div>\n
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Organizational Chart of the Ginza Association<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Establishment of a Ginza Machidukuri Council and Revision of District Planning<\/h3>\n
In 2003, large-scale plans were set to develop skyscrapers along Ginza-dori. According to the District planning \u201cGinza Rules\u201d defined only recently, the maximum height of buildings along Ginza-dori was set to 56 meters. The people were astounded and puzzled as to how skyscrapers were allowable. The answer was in the Act on Special Measures concerning Urban Renaissance that had been established in 2001. As long as development was based on this act, large-scale plans in certain areas defined as \u201cspecial areas\u201d were allowed to proceed that transcended the rules of that area. Ginza was defined as an Area for Urgent Development of Urban Renaissance, and the district planning \u201cGinza Rules\u201d included a clause that its rules did not apply to projects in special areas.
\nThere were other large development plans in the works, for example for Mitsukoshi and the Kabuki-za Theater. Also during this time, the Ginza Association that was founded in 2001 gradually began to take shape and form a system for considering the entire Ginza district as a whole, and various challenges for urban planning arose. Momentum was accelerating for considering not only building rules and measures to deal with the problem of large-scale development, but also challenges for the entire district, such as public order and the landscape throughout Ginza. Thus the Ginza Machidukuri Council (machidukuri meaning \u201curban planning\u201d) was established as a point of contact for development as well as a vehicle for considering challenges of the entire Ginza district, with the help of specialists.
\nThe Ginza Machidukuri Council held a stream of symposiums asking the opinions of specialists while simultaneously providing a chance for the people of Ginza to speak their mind. It also visited the block associations and street associations, holding study sessions and putting opinions together.<\/div>\n
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Ginza Machidukuri Council symposium<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Meetings also began with Chuo Ward to reconsider the district planning \u201cGinza Rules,\u201d and they were finally revised after a year and a half of persistent talks. The main point of the revision was that the maximum height of buildings in the Ginza district would be 56 meters (66 meters including the structures), regardless of whether in a special area. As the land use in Area A shown in the map is different, an exception to this rule could be made in this area for plans that contribute to the preservation and\/or succession of culture.<\/div>\n
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“Plans that contribute to the preservation and\/or succession of culture in Area A (the marked area ) were exempt from the ruling on building height<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

While this was a step in the right direction, merely defining the maximum building height did not have any bearing on whether the dignified and refined Ginza-style landscape would be preserved. The concept of \u201cGinza-style\u201d that cannot be defined by numbers or words has been largely fostered through actual face-to-face relationships among peers through frequent Ginza Association meetings, street or block association meetings and co-hosted events and preserved through the efforts of the community. As the global economy progresses, it will become difficult to maintain Ginza\u2019s distinctive style if there is an increase in unknown business operators that raise buildings in neighboring areas unnoticed, do not share information, and carry out their own business without taking part in district activities.
\nThe people of Ginza once again met with Chuo Ward and a Ginza Design Council was established. This Council ruled that any business establishments planning to raise a building over a certain size or a structure that requires an application for building confirmation must hold preliminary talks with the locality before submitting the application or urban plan draft. The Ginza Design Council that was created is officially designated by Chuo Ward and holds preliminary talks with developers that cover points which cannot be measured, such as building design, color, harmony with the streetscape, and contents of advertisements, to determine whether or not Ginza\u2019s style will be lost or whether or not the project will improve Ginza somehow. Projects that receive the go-ahead are reported to Chuo Ward. While there is no legally-binding authority, projects that are not so reported cannot move ahead in the procedure. In addition, Chuo Ward considers those reports when advising the developers.
\nThrough this system, nearly all new business operators come to see the Ginza Design Council, enabling the Council to collect information and act as a liaison for face-to-face interactions with the locality.<\/div>\n

The Ginza Filter<\/h3>\n
Underlying this process of urban planning and the system that is built is something that has passed down unbroken over the years, known as the \u201cGinza Filter.\u201d The Ginza Filter is not a written code or rule, but rather a refined unwritten gentleman\u2019s agreement that separates what is befitting of Ginza from what is not. The people of Ginza believe that, even without defining rules in words and numbers, that which does not fit Ginza passes through this invisible filter and disappears naturally, leaving behind only that which fits Ginza.
\nTo ensure that the people of Ginza share this common awareness, it is necessary to consistently hold dialogues and maintain communication on individual incidents and decisions. By doing so, the people of Ginza maintain the Ginza Filter. As the economy becomes more and more globalized, however, a need is gradually rising to put the filter into words.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Street stalls on Ginza-dori just after the war<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A water-bus ran along Shiodome river. Near Ginza 8-Chome in 1959.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ginza-dori on the final day of the Toden streetcars<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A crowd of people crams into the last tram<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The First Grand Ginza Festival<\/p>\n

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The First Ginza Festival<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ginza Chuo-dori crowded with people on the first day of the pedestrian paradise. Taken on August 2, 1970 (source: Yomiuri Shimbun)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The Ginza Charter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Ginza map is designated by ordinance to have two types of district planning sectors. The maximum building height is 56 m for both.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Vision for Urban Planning<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A countdown was held on the Ginza 4-Chome intersection on December 31, 1999.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ginza Accueille opening ceremony<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Organizational Chart of the Ginza Association<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ginza Machidukuri Council symposium<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Plans that contribute to the preservation and\/or succession of culture in Area A (the marked area ) were exempt from the ruling on building height<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Organization of the Design Council System specified by the Chuo Ward Urban Area Development Project Guidelines. Procedures cannot move forward unless approval is received from the Design Council designated by the ward mayor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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In the Yukata de Gin-bura festival, crowds of people dressed in yukata visit Ginza and splash water on the street in unison<\/p>\n

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Ginza Events<\/h3>\n
In 2004, the Ginza Accueille festival was renamed to Promenade Ginza, and its events were given a more cultural focus. It was also transformed into a project that linked to promotion of sales, which is more befitting of Ginza as a commercial district. Although the\u3000themes for Ginza Accueille and Promenade Ginza are \u201chospitality\u201d and \u201cstrolling through Ginza,\u201d respectively, the events for both are designed to display the uniqueness of Ginza. However, both concepts are now to be pursued by the Ginza district not only during the event period, but throughout the entire year. Rather than a few large events a year, it was thought that better to hold many smaller scale events dispersed throughout the year that focus on Ginza\u2019s unique culture to attract visitors and allowing them to enjoy touring the shops and restaurants.
\nWith this concept in mind, the fall events were renamed \u201cAutumn Ginza,\u201d and, instead of focusing all events in the fall season, some events were moved to spring and summer.
\nAs of 2012, Autumn Ginza events include a \u201cGin-cha-kai\u201d (Ginza tea ceremony), Ginza Restaurant Week, Ginza 8 Block Shrine Tour, Garonoyakai (night gallery tours), Ginza Design Forum, and more.
\n\uff1eGinza Official\u30a4\u30f3\u30d5\u30a9\u30e1\u30fc\u30b7\u30e7\u30f3<\/a><\/div>\n
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Gin-cha-kai during which the four Senke schools of tea ceremony perform in the street in Ginza<\/p>\n

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Autumn Ginza pamphlet<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Another major event put on by the Ginza Association is the Holiday Promenade. As mentioned above, ever since the first pedestrian paradise was held in 1970, events have been put on annually on the first Sunday in August. The types of events were revamped in 2007, and all of Ginza was given a summery appearance based on the theme of \u201cYukata de Gin-bura\u201d (strolling through Ginza in a yukata). The festival included a jumbo raffle for visitors dressed in yukata to win prizes and loads of special services from the various shops. An \u201cUchimizu\u201d event hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism called the \u201c1000 Person Cool Breeze Project in Ginza\u201d involves a long line of people dressed in yukata splashing water on the street in unison.
\nEach street association also puts on their own fun events, such as the Ginza Willow Festival on Nishi-Ginza-dori (May 5), the Konparu Festival on Konparu-dori (mid-August), the Ginza Suzuran Festival on Ginza Suzuran-dori, and night cruises held by the Namiki-dori Street Association.<\/div>\n

The Ginza International Luxury Committee<\/h3>\n
One after another of the banks and brokerage houses that had lined Ginza-dori during the bubble economy became consolidated or had its branch closed, and the vacancies were eventually filled with stores from foreign brands in the late \u201990s. Once again, Ginza became lively and colorful.
\nThe Ginza Street Association founded a Ginza International Luxury Committee (GILC) in 2001 that shared information among business people in the same area. As of 2012, GILC currently has 13 companies as its members. Under the theme of \u201cHow do foreign brands cooperate with each other to revitalize Ginza,\u201d GILC proposes and holds various events, such as the Ginza Jazz Festival (2005-2010).
\nIt is currently responsible for planning and executing the Christmas illumination project that brilliantly colors Ginza-dori each year during the holiday period.<\/div>\n
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Ginza Jazz Festival<\/p>\n

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2011 Christmas Illumination<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Publishing Information Online<\/h3>\n
Ginza was very quick to emphasize publishing information on the Internet. Now, each district and area has its own Website, and it is normal for districts to publish information through them, but Ginza launched its official Website, \u201cGinza Concierge,\u201d as early as 1996.
\nGinza Concierge was renamed \u201cGinza Official\u201d in 2011 and redesigned so that it not only introduces shops and events, but also publishes stories and thoughts on business and on Ginza itself from people running businesses in the district. It thus more strongly conveys the charm of Ginza. In an aim to globalize its information output, the site is now available in both English and Chinese as well.<\/div>\n

The Ginza Design Council and the Ginza Design Rules<\/h3>\n
The Ginza Design Council that was inaugurated in 2006 has come to receive roughly 100 applications for new buildings or structures a year. Even businesses with projects that do not require application are voluntarily coming to report to the Ginza Design Council more and more. Most of the businesses listen to the opinions of the Ginza locality and cooperate with them to further improve proposed design.
\nWhen it comes to large-scale development projects, the developers exchange opinions with the Council from the planning stages, and confer with the Council on the way in which the project should contribute to the area in that which is only possible with large-scale projects.
\nInitially, the Ginza Design Council did not define any rules such as on the brightness or saturation of colors or on the size of advertisements that would act as general design guidelines. It only had criteria for judging what is befitting of Ginza. Unfortunately, this was often inconvenient for businesses. In 2008, a little more than a year after the Council was established, it prepared a pamphlet laying down \u201cGinza Design Rules.\u201d
\nThe pamphlet described the history of urban planning in Ginza, detailed the district planning \u201cGinza Rules,\u201d explained the organization of the Ginza Association, and provided a number of case examples from previous consultations. Ginza, whose main principle is to be consistently progressive while continuously evolving dispelled with the notion of fixed rules. Instead, it embraced the concept that rules mature through the accumulation of experience and cases and that the rules themselves must be reviewed and revised for each creative new project proposal.
\nAfter further working through a number of projects, the Council published the second edition of the Ginza Design Rules at the end of 2011.<\/div>\n
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The Ginza Design Rules published in 2006. A second edition has since been issued<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Large-Scale Development and the Advance of Fast Fashion<\/h3>\n
Entering the 21st century, plans began for several large development projects on a scale unseen of in Ginza until then.
\nMitsukoshi that faces the Ginza 4-Chome intersection expanded and merged with the East side block. Ginza\u2019s block organization is very historical, having been created by Tokugawa Ieyasu and overhauled during the construction of the Meiji Bricktown. The human scale feature of Ginza formed in the years when people walked the streets while carrying on their daily lives there, can be considered essential to Gin-bura. Although Mitsukoshi reconstructed the road between the blocks, it preserved its walk-through function. In addition, Ginza held numerous talks with Mitsukoshi and Chuo Ward and decided on an urban project that would not destroy the passages between the blocks even in the future.
\nGinza Komatsu on Ginza 6-Chome did not link any blocks, but is linking the building with its West tower through passageways.
\nIn line with the new district planning \u201cGinza Rules,\u201d the Kabuki-za Theater will keep its facade in the design of the previous building, but build a super-high rise office building behind it. It is maintaining discussions to determine how to preserve the Kobiki-cho culture of rows of theaters from the Edo period, while conveying the culture of the region as a whole. Construction is scheduled to be completed in spring 2013.
\nOther large-scale development plans are also in the works for the future, such as a 6-Chome project that uses the Tokyu TS building and 2 blocks along Ginza-dori. While there is thus a trend towards larger buildings and collaborations, the plans are designed to open projects on the streets that add to their liveliness and to the enjoyment of Gin-bura, and contribute to the area in the form of bicycle and large bus parking lots, rooftop gardens, and other features that are not possible with small-scale development.
\nMeanwhile, a recent characteristic of Ginza is the advance of fast fashion brands. In every era, Ginza has always been the district where the most thriving businesses of the day open shops or branches. Ginza places high expectations on these shops to breathe the air of a new era into the district. As the shop is opening in Ginza, it was also expected to become a true member of the district, and carry on business that befits the Ginza style. It should then pass through the Ginza filter and bring in new Ginza fans. These are the hopes of the district, and how Ginza has built up its history over the years.<\/div>\n

Overhaul of Ginza-dori<\/h3>\n
Throughout every era, Ginza-dori has remained a symbol of Ginza. Many facilities have deteriorated since the major repairs that were made in 1968, and plans are being considered to revise facilities to fit the new era.

\nThe original concept of the 1968 repairs was chiefly centered on keeping up with the era of motorization, but the times have changed, and the new era is calling for development of a beautiful streetscape, a rich environment that is earth and people friendly, and streets that are enjoyable to stroll through.
\nIn 2004, road pavement construction was completed as thermal insulation against the heat island effect and as a noise prevention measure. The granite sidewalk paving stones were also repaired. In 2003, as one part of a project to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the start of the Edo period, the short Indian Hawthorn shrubs were removed and replaced by flowerbeds. They were later replaced with mid-sized Japanese yew trees. The yew trees were actually planted as an experiment with mid-sized trees while considering candidates for the future street side trees in Ginza. Discussions still continue with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to select the best street side trees for Ginza.
\nIn 2006, the Ministry held an international competition for the design of the street lights. The design of Jun Matsui was selected from among 280 entries from 18 countries around the world. The street lights were rebuilt with the new design that incorporates the latest technologies and uses LED lights that consume less power and require minimal maintenance.
\nSecurity cameras were also installed to increase the safety of the district. In 2012, a Wi-Fi system was set up along Ginza-dori, making the street even easier for visitors from Japan and abroad to enjoy.<\/div>\n
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Ginza-dori at present<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Revising Targets and a New Vision for Ginza<\/h3>\n
Since the beginning of the 21st century, the advance of the global economy and information technology has brought tremendous change to the world. Ginza has made significant changes as well, including the establishment of the Ginza Association, revision of festivals and events, founding of the Ginza Machidukuri Council and the Ginza Design Council, and overhaul of Ginza-dori. In the midst of all this, new challenges have arisen, and the need has come to develop a vision of what Ginza\u2019s future should entail.
\nAddressing the declining birthrate and aging and shrinking of the population as well as environment-related challenges is a critical topic for all districts. Ginza also has its own unique issues, such as changes in its consumption structure due to the increasing number of residents in surrounding areas (not visitors from the suburbs, but residents in neighboring areas who come to shop in Ginza; a change from corporate expense accounts to private spending), and the accompanying changes in views on public transportation that are also being considered from an environmental stance. Addressing visitors from not only Japan but also overseas must also be a topic of focus from the perspective of international tourism.
\nThe district planning \u201cGinza Rules\u201d are centered on guiding commercial enterprises, but Ginza is not founded on business alone. Historically, shops in Ginza usually had a lower floor for running the business and an upper floor where the family resided. Also, the upper floors of larger buildings held many offices, and the people who worked there also contributed to consumption in Ginza. Aiming towards development of a sustainable district for the future, use of the district must again be reconsidered and revised to an area that has a mix of living (residences) and working (offices).<\/p>\n

Written by:Eriko Takezawa<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Gin-cha-kai during which the four Senke schools of tea ceremony perform in the street in Ginza<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Autumn Ginza pamphlet<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ginza Jazz Festival<\/p>\n

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2011 Christmas Illumination<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Ginza Design Rules published in 2006. A second edition has since been issued<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ginza-dori at present<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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