If you are serious about shopping, then you must visit the Ginza. It is always listed among the top ten retail districts in the world. Squeezed into eight blocks are every major luxury brand plus plenty of department stores and boutiques. You will also find an array of restaurants – ranging from cheap to extravagant – plus night clubs for social insomniacs. The main street is Chuo-dori and the heart is this Ginza 4-chome Intersection. Just watch for the flashing neon sign atop the famous glass cylinder of the San-ai Building. The word Ginza means seat of silver. The origin is when a coin mint was built here in 1612 during the Edo period (1603 – 1868).
