More photos of Nihombashi
Click here for Nihombashi map
History
Nihombashi (also splet Nihonbashi) literally means "Japan Bridge". The neighbourhood grew around the bridge of the same name, first built in wood in 1603. The was the year when shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu moved his government to Edo. The new ruler of Japan made of Nihombashi the official centre of Edo, and as a result of Japan. Nihombashi has retained its status of official centre of Japan and all distances from Tokyo to other cities in Japan are still measured from that unconspicuous bridge.
Nihombashi was a busy district in the Edo period, built on a network of canals, which served for the merchants to bring their goods directly to the heart of the city. Each area was specialized in some kinds of products : fish, vegetables, clothes...
Nowadays, Nihombashi remains a major business district, but merchants have left place to securities companies and financial institutions. The Bank of Japan and Tokyo Stock Exchange are both located in Nihombashi.
Attractions
Nihombashi being a purely business district it is not on many people's list of places to visit in Tokyo. Nonetheless a stroll around the Muromachi quarter will make you discover some impressive-looking company headquarters, including some built in classical European style that appear to have been transported directly from London or Berlin. This is the case of the Bank of Japan, the Mitsukoshi Department Store, and the adjacent the Mitsui Fudosan Headquarters, housing the Mitsui Memorial Museum.
Shopping
Mitsukoshi, Tokyo's oldest and most famous department store, has its main shop in Nihombashi, and even a subway station to its name (Mitsukoshi-mae).
Near Nihombashi Metro Station is the main branch of Takashimaya, another prestigious department store. Its food court in the basement is reputed for having an array of the very best French pâtissiers, Belgian chocolatiers and Austrian Zuckerbäckern. In front of Takashimaya, you will find Maruzen, one of Japan's leading bookshop. Books in English, French and German are sold on the 4th floor.
The imposing Nihombashi Itchome Building has just opened its door in April 2004. Its architecture is startling, especially for Tokyo, as it is almost entirely glass-covered (earthquake-proof ?) and rounded in a sail-like fashion. It houses the Coredo shopping center from the B1 to 4th flloor, and offices (among which "Merrill Lynch") in the upper floors.
Neighbourhoods
Nihombashi has the particularity of being divided in "cho" (町), or "quarters". This specificity is only shared by the neighouring Kanda in the whole of Tokyo. The reason is that Kanda and Nihombashi were the economic center in the Edo era and had very specialized areas, sometimes associated in one trade.
Nihombashi is made up of 17 "cho" outside Nihombashi 1chome and 2chome. These are :
|
Hakozakichō 箱崎町 : Mostly residential, although IBM and the Yomiuri Newspaper both have colossal buildings there.
Nakasu 中州
Hamachō 浜町 : Residential district
Ningyochō 人形町 : Literally means "doll town". It is indeed famous for its doll shops dating from the Edo period. Mostly residential and home to the Suiten-gu Shrine (水天宮).
Kakigarachō 蛎殻町
Koamichō 小網町 : Business district next to the Tokyo Stock Exchange
Kayabachō 茅場町 : Business district with lots of financial institutions.
Kabutochō 兜町 : Home to the Tokyo Stock Exchange and several securities companies.
Kobunachō 小舟町
Horidomechō 堀留町
Tomizawachō 富沢町
Bakurochō 馬喰町
Kodenmachō 小伝馬町
Odenmachō 大伝馬町
Honchō 本町 : Business district with many traditional shops and restaurants
Muromachi 室町 : Home to Mitsui's Headquarters and Mitsukoshi Department Store (founded by Mitsui).
Hongokuchō 本石町 : Home to the Bank of Japan.
|
| |
|
