The places most worth your time in and around Ginza, and where to find them.
Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower (, Mōdo gakuen kokūn tawā) is a 204-metre-tall (669-foot), 50-story educational facility located in the Nishi-Shinjuku district in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. The building was designed by a team led by Paul Noritaka Tange, the son of Kenzo Tange. The building is home to three educational institutions: Tokyo Mode Gakuen (fashion vocational school), HAL Tokyo (special technology and design college), and Shuto Ikō (medical college).
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Tokyo Skytree (, Tōkyō Sukaitsurī; [tò̞ó̞.kʲjó̞ó̞ (|) sɯ̥̈.kä́í.t͡sɯ̈́.ɾʲíì, tó̞ó̞.-] ), a.k.a Tokyo Sky Tree, is a broadcasting and observation tower, located in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It has been the tallest tower in Japan since opening in 2012, and reached its full height of 634 metres (2,080 feet) in early 2011, making it the tallest tower in the world, displacing the Canton Tower, and the third tallest structure in the world behind Merdeka 118 (678.9 metres or 2,227 feet) and Burj Khalifa (829.8 m or 2,722 ft). The tower is the primary television and radio broadcast site for the Kantō region; the older Tokyo Tower no longer gives complete digital terrestrial television broadcasting coverage because it is surrounded by high-rise buildings.
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Tokyo Tower (, Tōkyō Tawā; pronounced [toːkʲoː taꜜɰᵝaː] ), also known by its official name Japan Radio Tower (, Nippon denpatō) is a communications and observation tower in the district of Shiba-koen in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, completed in 1958. At 332.9 meters (1,092 feet), it was the tallest tower in Japan until the construction of Tokyo Skytree in 2012. It is a lattice tower inspired by the Eiffel Tower, and is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations.
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The Tokyo Stock Exchange (, Tōkyō Shōken Torihikijo), abbreviated as Tosho () or TSE/TYO, is a stock exchange located in Tokyo, Japan. The exchange is owned by Japan Exchange Group (JPX), a holding company that it also lists (TYO: 8697), and operated by Tokyo Stock Exchange, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of JPX. JPX was formed from the merger of Tokyo Stock Exchange Group, Inc. with Osaka Securities Exchange Co., Ltd.
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The Tokyo National Museum (, Tōkyō Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan) or TNM is an art museum in Ueno Park in the Taitō ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is considered the oldest national museum and the largest art museum in Japan. The museum collects, preserves, and displays a comprehensive collection of artwork and cultural objects from Asia, with a focus on ancient and medieval Japanese art and Asian art along the Silk Road.
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Yasukuni Shrine (Japanese: or , Hepburn: Yasukuni Jinja; lit. 'Peaceful Country Shrine') is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Emperor Meiji in June 1869 and commemorates those who died in service of Japan, from the Boshin War of 1868–1869, to the two Sino-Japanese Wars, 1894–1895 and 1937–1945 respectively, and the First Indochina War of 1946–1954. The shrine's purpose has been expanded over the years to include those who died in the wars involving Japan spanning from the entire Meiji and Taishō periods, and the earlier part of the Shōwa period.
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The Imperial Palace (, Kōkyo; lit. 'Imperial Residence') is the main residence of the emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings, including the Fukiage Palace (, Fukiage gosho), where the emperor has his living quarters; the main palace (, Kyūden), where various ceremonies and receptions take place; some residences of the Imperial Family; an archive; and museums and administrative offices. The 1.15-square-kilometer (0.44 sq mi) palace grounds and gardens are built on the site of the old Edo Castle.
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The National Stadium (, Kokuritsu Kyōgijō), alternatively Olympic Stadium (, Orinpikku Sutajiamu; during 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics), currently known as MUFG Stadium (MUFG, MUFG Sutajiamu) for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as New National Stadium (, Shin Kokuritsu Kyōgijō), is a multipurpose stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Opened in 2019 and originally constructed for the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, it hosted the ceremonies and track and field events. Since the Games, the stadium has primarily been used for association football and rugby union events.
More on Wikipedia →Edo Castle (, Edo-jō) is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan in Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. In modern times it is part of the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is therefore also known as Chiyoda Castle (, Chiyoda-jō). Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa shogunate there, and it was the residence of the shōgun and the headquarters of the military government during the Edo period (1603–1867) in Japanese history.
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The Nippon Budokan (Japanese: , Hepburn: Nippon Budōkan; lit. 'Japan Martial Arts Hall'), often shortened to simply the Budokan, is an indoor arena in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. The Budokan was a popular venue for Japanese professional wrestling for a time, and it has hosted numerous other sporting events, such as the 1967 Women's Volleyball World Championship.
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Ueno Park (, Ueno Kōen) is a spacious public park in the Ueno district of Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. The park was established in 1873 on lands formerly belonging to the temple of Kan'ei-ji. Amongst the country's first public parks, it was founded following the Western example as part of the borrowing and assimilation of international practices that characterizes the early Meiji period.
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Meiji Shrine (, Meiji Jingū) is a Shinto shrine in Shibuya, Tokyo, that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken. The shrine does not contain the emperor's grave, which is located at Fushimi-momoyama, south of Kyoto.
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The former National Stadium (, Kokuritsu kyōgijō) was a multi-purpose stadium in Kasumigaoka, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. The stadium served as the main stadium for the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as being the venue for track and field events at the 1964 Summer Olympics. The Japan national football team's home matches and major football club cup finals were held at the stadium.
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Animax (Japanese: , Hepburn: Animakkusu), stylized as ANIMAX in all caps, is a Japanese animation satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. Launched on July 1, 1998, Animax is the first 24-hour network in the world dedicated to anime. Animax is part of AK Entertainment, owned by Nojima, and is headquartered in New Pier Takeshiba North Tower in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
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The Sumida River (, Sumida-gawa) is a river that flows through central Tokyo, Japan. It branches from the Arakawa River at Iwabuchi (in Kita-ku) and flows into Tokyo Bay. Its tributaries include the Kanda and Shakujii rivers.
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Sensō-ji ( [sẽ̞ꜜɰ̃so̞ːʑi] , Sensō-ji; officially Kinryū-zan Sensō-ji (), also known as Asakusa Kannon ()), is an ancient Buddhist temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. It is Tokyo's oldest-established temple, and one of its most significant. It is dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion.
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The Tōkaidō road (, Tōkaidō; [to̞ːka̠ido̞ː]), which roughly means "eastern sea route," was the most important of the Five Routes of the Edo period in Japan, connecting Kyoto to the de facto capital of Japan at Edo (modern-day Tokyo). Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendō, the Tōkaidō travelled along the sea coast of eastern Honshū, hence the route's name. The Tōkaidō was first used in ancient times as a route from Kyoto to Hitachi Province (central Honshu) before the Edo period.
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The Rainbow Bridge (Japanese: , Hepburn: Reinbō Burijji) is a suspension bridge crossing northern Tokyo Bay between Shibaura Pier and the Odaiba waterfront development in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Its official name is the Tokyo Port Bridge (, Tōkyō Kō Renrakukyō). The English name "Rainbow Bridge" was chosen by public vote.
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