Attractions in Ginza

Ginza can be compared to New York’s 5th Avenue or Oxford Street in London. This district is one of Tokyo’s most thriving shopping centers, but it is also home to several other attractions.

Hama Rikyu Garden

Formerly the site of a villa owned by the Shogun Tokugawa in the 1600s, Hama Rikyu Garden is now a beautifully landscaped garden park with a lake and ponds, and is open to the public.

Located by Sumida River and with the impressive skyscrapers of Shiodome as its backdrop, the garden is a popular attraction and a fantastic place to relax and hang out with family and friends.

Location: 1-1 Hama-Rikyu Teien, Chuo-ku. Hours 9am-5pm.

Advertising Museum Tokyo

The Advertising Museum Tokyo (ADMT), sponsored by Dentsu, showcases Japan’s advertising history. Its permanent exhibition has seven sections that present collections from the Edo Period up to the present. Its main theme is called “Society and Advertising.”

The exhibit also displays the “Society, Life and Culture of the 20th Century” collage composed of newspapers, magazines, and products.

Temporary exhibitions are also hosted at various times in the year. Aside from the exhibits, ADMT has a vast library dedicated to the topics of advertising and marketing, in Japan and around the world.

Location: 1-8-2 Higashi-Shimbashi, B1F-B2F, Minato-ku. Hours open 11am- 6pm, Tues – Fri and up to 4:30 pm on Sat.

Kabuki-za Theatre

Within the bustling neighborhood of Ginza stands the grand Kabuki-za Theatre, where kabuki performances once took place.  The theatre was closed in April 2010 to be torn down and rebuilt. (It will still match the previous structural design, which is a mixture of classical Japanese and Western architecture.) It is expected to reopen in Spring 2013.

Location: 4-12-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku

Hakuhinkan Toy Park

If you want to buy some gifts for your young relatives, or if you simply want to indulge your inner child, head off to Hakuhinkan Toy Park. This giant toy store, founded over a century ago, has 9 floors crammed with all sorts of toys, from action figures to board games. The building also includes a restaurant and the Hakuhinkan Theater for performing arts.

Location: 8-8-11 Ginza Chūō-ku. Hours 11 am – 8 pm, Restaurant floors open until 10 pm.