Ginza is a glitzy neighborhood in Tokyo where cutting-edge trends and Japanese tradition coexist. From well-established boutiques to fancy department stores, world-class brand shops, and flagship stores for fast fashion brands from Japan and beyond, it’s an area that is consistently popular among tourists from all over the world.
In the Ginza Station area, at the heart of Ginza, there are several new and old landmarks. Access to these places varies depending on exactly where you are going. Here, we have carefully selected sightseeing spots that are popular with tourists, so be sure to refer to them when you go out.
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What is the Ginza Station area like?
Ginza, at the center of Tokyo’s 23 ‘wards,’ is known as a sophisticated place to stroll and peruse high-end brand shops and famous restaurants.
Ginza was not the original name of the area; instead, there was a location named Ginza Yakusho (a government office) that was responsible for casting silver coins.
Tokugawa Ieyasu, who opened the Edo Shogunate, moved the Ginza Yakusho in Sunpu (Shizuoka Prefecture) to its current location of Ginza 2-Chome in 1612. This led to the name of the place being called Shin-ryogae-cho (“New Money Exchange Town”) but came to be favored under the colloquial name of “Ginza.”
Since ancient times, Ginza has flourished as a city where cutting-edge products and people gather and has played a role as a trend-setting area. It is said that the word “Gin-bura,” or people who enjoyed strolling and window shopping around Ginza, was born in the Taisho era.
Ginza, which continues to evolve while preserving tradition, is still well-known by tourists visiting Japan and is always ranked high as a destination in Tokyo.
Access from major stations to the Ginza area
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How easy is it to get to Ginza from spots often visited by tourists? Here we have summarized the primary access approaches from Narita Airport, Haneda Airport, Tokyo Station, and Shinjuku Station to Ginza.
From Narita Airport to Ginza
AIRPORT BUS TYO-NRT is convenient if you have large luggage. The Tokyo Shuttle and THE Access Narita have been integrated to form Japan’s largest airport access bus network, connecting Narita Airport with Ginza/Tokyo.
From Narita Airport, it takes about 77 minutes to travel to Ginza (the times may vary depending on traffic conditions). The fare is 1,000 yen one way, which is a pretty great deal! However, there are a limited number of buses that stop at Ginza, so it may not work for your schedul…
