KITTE | SEAN K / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
oMujiHOMEWARES
(無印良品 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-5208-8241; www.muji.com; 3-8-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku; h10am-9pm; dJR Yamanote line to Yūrakuchō, Kyōbashi exit)
The flagship store of the famously understated brand sells elegant, simple clothing, accessories and homewares. There are scores of other outlets across Tokyo, including a good one in Tokyo Midtown, but the Yūrakuchō store is the largest with the biggest range. It also offers tax-free shopping, bicycle rental (¥1080 a day from 10am to 8pm) and a great cafeteria.
Ōedo Antique MarketANTIQUES
(大江戸骨董市 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-6407-6011; www.antique-market.jp; 3-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku; h9am-4pm 1st & 3rd Sun of month; dJR Yamanote line to Yūrakuchō, Kokusai Forum exit)
Held in the courtyard of Tokyo International Forum, usually on the first and third Sunday of every month (check the website before you head out), this is a colourful event with hundreds of dealers and a good chance to bargain for retro and antique Japanese goods, from old ceramics to kitsch plastic figurines.
Tokyo Character StreetTOYS
(東京キャラクターストリート MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.tokyoeki-1bangai.co.jp; B1 First Avenue Tokyo Station, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku; h10am-8.30pm; dJR lines to Tokyo Station, Yaesu exit)
From Doraemon to Hello Kitty and Ultraman, Japan knows kawaii (cute) and how to merchandise it. In the basement on the Yaesu side of Tokyo Station, some 15 Japanese TV networks and toy manufacturers operate stalls selling official plush toys, sweets, accessories and the all-important miniature character to dangle from your mobile phone.
TakashimayaDEPARTMENT STORE
(高島屋 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.takashimaya.co.jp/tokyo/store_information; 2-4-1 Nihombashi, Chūō-ku; h10am-8pm; bGinza line to Nihombashi, Takashimaya exit)
The design of Takashimaya’s flagship store (1933) tips its pillbox hat to New York’s Gilded Age with marble columns, chandeliers and uniformed female elevator operators announcing each floor in high-pitched sing-song voices.
2Sports & Activities
Imperial Palace Cycling CourseCYCLING
(パレスサイクリングコース MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.jbpi.or.jp/english/pc1.html; Babasakimon Police Box; h10am-3pm Sun; bChiyoda line to Nijūbashimae, exit 2)
Every Sunday (bar rainy days), 150 free bicycles are provided for use along this 3.3km cycling course between Iwaida Bridge ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; bHibiya line to Hibiya, exit A10) and Hirakawa Gate (平川門 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; bTōzai line to Takebashi, exit 1a). Bikes are given on a first-come, first-served basis and can be picked up next to the Babasakimon police box in Imperial Palace Plaza.
Ginza & Tsukiji
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
Ginza & Tsukiji
Neighbourhood Top Five
1Tsukiji Outer Market Rising early to catch the best of the city's seafood and other delicious eats at this bustling market area next to the old wholesale market.
2Dover Street Market Ginza Browsing some of Japan’s top designers at this boutique that's like a contemporary art gallery, then continuing shopping at Ginza's poshest shops and department stores.
3Kabukiza Lining up for a one-act ticket and being entertained by the Technicolor spectacle of kabuki drama.
4Hama-rikyū Onshi-teien Strolling past immaculately manicured trees, some hundreds of years old, and sipping green tea in this beautiful bayside garden.
5Yūrakuchō Sanchoku Inshokugai Snacking on yakitori (chicken skewers) with salarymen and women under the railway tracks.
Explore Ginza & Tsukiji
Proudly ranking alongside Fifth Avenue and the Champs-Élysées, Ginza is among the world's most famous shopping districts, though it's not as exclusive as it used to be: now alongside Mikimoto Pearls and Louis Vuitton you'll also find the likes of Uniqlo. Amid the expense-account establishments, there's also plenty of affordable dining and drinking options, including classy ramen bars and stand-up joints serving everything from fancy French dishes to sushi.
Speaking of sushi, next to Ginza is Tsukiji. The wholesale fish, fruit and vegetable market, where the famous bluefin tuna auctions are held, may still move across Tokyo Bay to a new home in Toyosu in 2017 (or possibly later). Meanwhile, business is booming for the mouth-watering array of food-related businesses of the outer market, which are here to stay. The good news is that you don't need to be up before the crack of dawn to sample the best of Tsukiji or the surrounding area, which includes the bayside garden Hama-rikyū Onshi-teien.
Providing a 21st-century backdrop to the manicured greenery of Hama-rikyū are the skyscrapers of Shiodome and the monorail running through it from Shimbashi (also spelled Shinbashi), the birthplace of Japan's railways. The vaulted spaces beneath the train lines here remain one of Tokyo's most atmospheric spots for a night of drinking and dining.
Local Life
AEating Explore Mitsukoshi's and other department stores' depachika – basement food floors with plenty of free samples on offer.
APromenading Go for a stroll along Chūō-dōri each weekend, when a long section of the road is traffic-free from noon to 5pm (until 6pm, April to September).
APeople-watching Spot high-class hostesses, clad in kimonos, greeting salarymen at ryōtei (exclusive traditional restaurants); you may even see one of Tokyo's rare geisha in Shimbashi.
Getting There & Away
ATrain The JR Yamanote line stops at Shimbashi Station and Yūrakuchō Station.
ASubway The Ginza, Hibiya and Marunouchi lines connect at Ginza Station, in the heart of Ginza. For Tsukiji, take either the Hibiya line to Tsukiji or the Ōedo line to Tsukijishijō.
AWater Bus Ferries stop at Hama-rikyū Onshi-teien and go to Asakusa and Odaiba.
Lonely Planet's Top Tip
Besides visiting Hama-rikyū Onshi-teien as a side trip from Ginza or Tsukiji, consider travelling by boat to or from Asakusa via the Sumida-gawa (Sumida River).
Best Places to Eat
A Kyūbey
A Trattoria Tsukiji Paradiso!
A Apollo
A Kagari
Best Places to Drink
A Cha Ginza
A Cafe de l'Ambre
A Turret Coffee
A Bistro Marx
A Kagaya
Best Places to Shop
A Takumi
A Itōya
A Akomeya
A Dover Street Market Ginza
TOP SIGHT
Tsukiji Outer Market
F11PHOTO / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Tsukiji Outer Market (jōgai-shijō) is a one-stop shop for anything you need to prepare and serve a great Japanese meal. When (or even if) the neighbouring wholesale market moves on, this atmospheric and justifiably popular area will remain a top attraction for food lovers.
Come hungry, as rows of vendors hawk goods, from dried fish and seaweed to green tea and pickles, with many free samples on offer. There are plenty of snack foods on the go, too, including freshly shucked oysters, fat slices of tamago-yaki (sweet and savoury rolled omelettes) on a stick from Yamachō (山長 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3248-6002; 4-16-1 Tsukiji; omlette slices ¥100; h6am-3.30pm; bHibiya line to Tsukiji, exit 1), delicious fish-paste treats from Tsukugon (つくごん MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.tsukugon.co.jp; 4-12-5 Tsukiji, Chūō-ku; snacks from ¥210; h6.30am-2pm Tue-Sun; bHibiya line to Tsukiji, exit 1), and maguro-yaki (tuna-shaped pancakes, filled with sweet beans) from Sanokiya (さのきや MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 4-11-9 Tsukiji, Chūō-ku; pancakes ¥200-220; h8.30am-2pm Thu-Tue; bHibiya line to Tsukiji, exit 1). If you'd prefer a sit-down meal, there are tons of restaurants and cafes.
The market is also well stocked with non-edible goods, including crockery and fine-quality kitchen knives: try Tsukiji Hitachiya (つきじ常陸屋 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 4-14-18 Tsukiji, Chūō-ku; h8am-3pm Mon-Sat, 10am-2pm Sun; bHibiya line t
o Tsukiji, exit 1) for a great selection of useful kitchen implements.
Before leaving, drop by Namiyoke-jinja (波除神社 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3541-8451; www.namiyoke.or.jp; 6-20-37 Tsukiji, Chūō-ku; bHibiya line to Tsukiji, exit 1), the Shintō shrine where Tsukiji's workers and residents come to pray. Giant lion masks used in the area's annual festival flank the entrance and there are dragon-shaped taps over the purification basins.
A few vendors from the intermediate wholesalers' market (水産仲卸業者売場 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3261-8326; www.tsukiji-market.or.jp; 5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chūō-ku; h10-11am; bHibiya line to Tsukiji, exit 1) have stalls in Tsukiji Uogashi (築地魚河岸 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.tsukiji-market.or.jp; 6-chōme Tsukiji, Chūō-ku; bHibiya line to Tsukiji, exit 1); this new complex in the outer market lacks the atmosphere of the older structures but the rooftop, open to the public, is a nice place to escape the crowds.
Don't Miss
ASushi for breakfast or lunch
ADelicious street food
AShopping for kitchen gear and gadgets
ANamiyoke-jinja
Practicalities
A場外市場; Jōgai Shijō
A MAP GOOGLE MAP
A6-chōme Tsukiji, Chūō-ku
Ah5am-2pm
AbHibiya line to Tsukiji, exit 1
1Sights
Tsukiji Outer Market Top Sight
MAP GOOGLE MAP
oTsukiji MarketMARKET
(東京都中央卸売市場, Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Produce MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3261-8326; www.tsukiji-market.or.jp; 5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chūō-ku; h5am-1pm, closed Sun, most Wed & all public holidays; bHibiya line to Tsukiji, exit 1)F
Fruit, vegetables, flowers and meat are sold here, but it's seafood – around 2000 tonnes of it traded daily – that Tsukiji is most famous for. The frenetic inner market (jōnai-shijō) is slated to move to Toyosu in 2017 or possibly later; the equally fascinating outer market, comprising hundreds of food stalls and restaurants, will stay put.
Before coming here, check the market's online calendar to make sure it's open, and for instructions on attending the tuna auctions, which start around 5am.
Tsukiji's star attraction is maguro (bluefin tuna) as big as submarine torpedoes and weighing up to 300kg: the sight (and sound) of these flash-frozen whoppers being auctioned is a classic Tokyo experience, worth getting up early (or staying up late) for.
Visitors begin pitching up for one of the 120 allotted places for viewing the auctions from around 3.30am at the Fish Information Center in the northwest corner of the market. It's on a first-come, first-served basis. The first batch of 60 visitors go in to see the auctions between 5.25am and 5.50am; the second batch is from 5.50am to 6.15am. As public transport does not start running until around 5am, you will either need to walk or take a taxi to the market this early in the morning.
If you show up later, there's still plenty to see. Attending the fruit and vegetable auction ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3261-8326; www.tsukiji-market.or.jp; 5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chūō-ku; h8am market days; bŌedo line to Tsukijishijomae, exit A1) is far less fuss than the tuna auction; just turn up from around 7am. The incredibly perfect and pricey melons you see in department stores go on sale around 8am.
The Seafood Intermediate Wholesalers' Area opens to the public from 10am. This is where you can see all manner of sea creatures lain out in boxes and styrofoam crates. It’s a photographer’s paradise, but you need to exercise caution to avoid getting in the way. Handcarts, forklifts and motorised vehicles perform a perfect high-speed choreography – not accounting for tourists. Don’t come here in large groups, with small children or in nice shoes. By 11am the crowds have dwindled and the sprinkler trucks plough through to prep the empty market for tomorrow's sale.
Within the inner market is Uogashi-yokochō, a block of tiny restaurants and food and souvenir stalls, set up originally to service market workers but now heavily patronised by visitors.
Tsukiji Hongwan-jiBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(築地本願寺 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3541-1131; www.tsukijihongwanji.jp; 3-15-1 Tsukiji, Chūō-ku; h6am-5pm; bHibiya line to Tsukiji, exit 1)F
When this impressive branch of the mother temple in Kyoto fell victim to the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923, it was rebuilt in a classical Indian style, making it one of the most distinctive Buddhist places of worship in Tokyo.
Talks in English about dharma are usually held on the last Saturday of the month from 5.30pm. See the temple website for more information.
Nakagin Capsule TowerARCHITECTURE
(中銀カプセルタワー MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 8-16-10 Ginza, Chūō-ku; bŌedo line to Tsukijishijō, exit A3)
A Facebook campaign has been started by some residents and fans to save Kurokawa Kishō's early-1970s building, which is a seminal work of Metabolist architecture. The tower's self-contained pods, which can be removed whole from a central core and replaced elsewhere, are in various states of decay and the building is swathed in netting, but it's still a very impressive design.
oHama-rikyū Onshi-teienGARDENS
(浜離宮恩賜庭園; Detached Palace Garden MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index028.html; 1-1 Hama-rikyū-teien, Chūō-ku; adult/child ¥300/free; h9am-5pm; bŌedo line to Shiodome, exit A1)
This beautiful garden, one of Tokyo’s finest, is all that remains of a shogunate palace that once extended into the area now occupied by Tsukiji Market. The main features are a large duck pond with an island that’s home to a charming tea pavilion, Nakajima no Ochaya (中島の御茶屋 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/restaurant028.html; 1-1 Hama-rikyū Onshi-teien, Chūō-ku; tea set ¥500; h9am-4.30pm; dŌedo line to Shiodome, exit A1), as well as some wonderfully manicured trees (black pine, Japanese apricot, hydrangeas etc), some of which are hundreds of years old.
Hama-rikyū Onshi-teien | BARNES IAN / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
GINZA GALLERIES
There are plenty of free shows to view at Ginza's galleries:
Gallery Koyanagi (ギャラリー小柳 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3561-1896; www.gallerykoyanagi.com; 8th fl, 1-7-5 Ginza, Chūō-ku; h11am-7pm Tue-Sat; bGinza line to Ginza, exit A9) Exhibits notable local and international artists.
Ginza Graphic Gallery (ギンザ・グラフィック・ギャラリー MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3571-5206; www.dnp.co.jp/gallery/ggg; 7-7-2 Ginza, Chūō-ku; h11am-7pm Tue-Fri, to 6pm Sat; bGinza line to Ginza, exit A2) Focuses on advertising and poster art.
METoA Ginza ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-5537-7411; www.metoa.jp/en; Tōkyū Plaza Ginza, 5-2-1 Ginza, Chūō-ku; h11am-9pm; bGinza line to Ginza, exit C2) Showcases some of Mitsubishi Electric's latest technologies in inventive collaborations with artists.
Shiseido Gallery (資生堂ギャラリー MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3572-3901; www.shiseido.co.jp/e/gallery/html; basement fl, 8-8-3 Ginza, Chūō-ku; h11am-7pm Tue-Sat, to 6pm Sun; bGinza line to Shimbashi, exit 1 or 3) Specialises in experimental art.
Tokyo Gallery + BTAP (東京画廊 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3571-1808; www.tokyo-gallery.com; 7th fl, 8-10-5 Ginza, Chūō-ku; h11am-7pm Tue-Fri, to 5pm Sat; bGinza line to Shimbashi, exit 1 or 3) Shows challenging, often political works by Japanese and Chinese artists.
5Eating
oKagariRAMEN¥
(篝 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 4-4-1 Ginza; small/large ramen ¥950/1050; h11am-3.30pm & 5.30-10.30pm; bGinza line to Ginza, exit A10 or B1)
Don't get confused – even though the English sign outside Kagari says 'Soba', this stands for chūka soba, meaning Chinese noodles, ie ramen. Kagari's luscious, flavoursome chicken broth makes all the difference here and has earned the shop a cult following; there's sure to be a long queue trailing from its tucked-away location on a Ginza alley.
A word to the wise: outside of the busy lunch period you can avoid lining up too long by heading to Kagari's branch in the underground arcade between the C1 and C2 exits of the Marunouchi line at Ginza. Look for it behind the Gano Delicatessen Bar.
Rose BakeryBAKERY¥
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %
03-5537-5038; 7th fl, Ginza Komatsu West, 6-9-5 Ginza, Chūō-ku; baked goods from ¥400, meals from ¥1000; h11am-9pm Mon-Fri, 9am-9pm Sat & Sun; v; bGinza line to Ginza, exit A2)
This chic branch of the top-class organic bakery chain is on the 7th floor of the same building as Dover Street Market Ginza. Come here for great cakes, healthy salads and sandwiches as well as a full breakfast fry-up on weekends.
oApolloGREEK¥¥
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-6264-5220; www.theapollo.jp; 11th fl, Tōkyū Plaza Ginza, 5-2-1 Ginza, Chūō-ku; mains ¥1800-5800; h11.30am-10pm; bGinza line to Ginza, exits C2 & C3)
Ginza's glittering lights are the dazzling backdrop to this ace import from Sydney with its delicious take on modern Greek cuisine. The Mediterranean flavours come through strongly in dishes such as grilled octopus and fennel salad, taramasalata, and Kefalograviera cheese fried in a saganaki pan with honey, oregano and lemon juice. Portions are large and meant for sharing.
oTrattoria Tsukiji Paradiso!ITALIAN¥¥
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3545-5550; www.tsukiji-paradiso.com; 6-27-3 Tsukiji, Chūō-ku; mains ¥1500-3600; h11am-2pm & 6-10pm; bHibiya line to Tsukiji, exit 2)
Paradise for food lovers, indeed. This charming, aqua-painted trattoria serves seafood pasta dishes that will make you want to lick the plate clean. Its signature linguine is packed with shellfish in a scrumptious tomato, chilli and garlic sauce. Lunch (from ¥980) is a bargain, but you may well need to wait in line; book for dinner.
Lonely Planet Tokyo Page 9