In the 19th century, Japan reopened trade links with the West after a 200-year closed-door period. The exotic fashions imported from Europe and the Americas where showcased here in Ginza. The tradition continues today, and Ginza remains the most exclusive shopping district in the entire country. There are many luxury hotels in Ginza connected to massive department stores like Ginza Mitsukoshi.
On-site hotels are also in reach of up-market restaurants and swanky drinking establishments. Ginza Sapporo Lion’s Pub is a particularly famous restaurant in this area. The restaurant’s imposing Gothic style is unlike any seen in Tokyo. Guests choose from Western and Japanese dishes, but the main attraction is Sapporo beer served in a German-style beer hall.
One of the defining sites of Ginza is the Sony Building, a defining example of postmodern architecture in Japan. Other local attractions include the gardens of Hama Rikyu, built around a 17th-century villa that belonged to Shogun Tokugawa.
Shinbashi district is immediately south of Ginza. The district was built around JR Shinbashi Station, which has been renovated and now hosts a popular restaurant and a museum that explores the history of Japanese Railways. Within Shinbashi is Shiodome, a high-rise district famous for the shops and restaurants in towering Shiodome City Centre.
Accommodation in Ginza / Shinbashi is as popular with international shoppers as it is with visiting Japanese. Guests enjoy convenient access to the train network thanks to Ginza Station and JR Yurakucyo Station. Between the two, there are links to metro and elevated railways.
