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Japan -> TOKYO -> Ginza Ginza TOKYO, Tokyo Prefecture Ginza started out as a swampy marshland in 1590 when Ieyasu moved the military capital to Edo (Tokyo). Once the land was filled in, however, the area attracted merchants and traders from all over. The silver mint that was built in 1612 lent Ginza its name, "silver place." The entire city was destroyed in 1872 during the Meiji Restoration, which prompted the government to commission English architect Thomas Waters to rebuild the area. He did so by making all the buildings out of red brick. Since then the area has been a center of Western influence and modernization. The shops and department stores in Ginza rival New York's Fifth Avenue while still offering more traditional wares. Some of the most expensive and exclusive bars lie hidden in the backstreets intermingled with art galleries and dive bars. |
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