Ginza Walk
(From Personal Archives)
An evening walk from streets of Shimbashi, where the Bank’s branch was located, to Ginza was an experience of being inside of a complete-cycle of metamorphosis. It felt like I was sucked from a dull dimension to a totally different dimension, full of life and character, from a more quiet office complex to an elegant and stylish city where the retro-modern atmosphere still lingered in the air. Lined with old department stores with history and tradition and prestigious boutiques, Ginza was a flamboyant city even for sophisticated, fashion-conscious Japanese and even more so for people like me.
To me, Ginza was definitely the breath and brain of Tokyo and for the first time, I was showered with bright lights of the mega city that never sleeps. Ginza 4-chome intersection and its distinctive architecture, surrounding the intersection of Chuo-Dori Street and Harumi-Dori Street greeted me with its warm welcome, the perfect place to start my Ginza walk.
Walking in Ginza was like being in a never-ending fashion show and I felt like I was sitting in a VIP row, so close to the runway that showcased designer brands, from Prada to Burberry to Salvatore Ferragamo to Louis Vitton. Ginza was an eye-opener for me to the exciting and fascinating world of fashion and I meant it literally, especially when it came to the price tags that were enough to make my eyes go wide.
I strolled the streets of Ginza without clear intention to buy anything considering the price and exchange rate. Well, to tell the truth, I was hoping to find something that fits my wallet. Other than that, I was more drawn to get the feel of what Ginza has to offer for a foreigner like me and to get the understanding of the people, the culture and the colors of Tokyo.
What amazed me was how people of Tokyo treated me. I got the kind of respect I deserved, as their guest. And, the Japanese, they were down right polite. I could feel the warmness everywhere even though I didn’t understand the language. At times, I felt like they were saying something just to mock me because I was a non-Japanese speaking foreigner, but still, I could feel their honesty.
And, I also found out that even the back lanes of Ginza were not scary at all, a place I could walk safely without fear of getting mugged or pick pocketed. The feeling was amazing. I could feel safe even if I was in a foreign land, the feelings that I couldn’t get in New York or Chicago, or even Kuala Lumpur.
At 12:00 am, you could still find well-dressed, fully suited men holding briefcases and women in fashionable outfits, enjoying the drinks with friends after work. Laughter and conversation filled the atmosphere. Trains were packed especially after 12:00 am. Ginza line was only one of many train lines that transported commuters from suburban Tokyo and even outskirt areas. Perhaps limited parking spaces and high cost of parking fees made the traveling via trains a more cost effective alternative. And, if you look at the map and guide to train services in Tokyo, you can see extensive network of train lines that would make our train lines look more like a kindergarten’s school project.
Chazz - Ginza, Tokyo
An evening walk from streets of Shimbashi, where the Bank’s branch was located, to Ginza was an experience of being inside of a complete-cycle of metamorphosis. It felt like I was sucked from a dull dimension to a totally different dimension, full of life and character, from a more quiet office complex to an elegant and stylish city where the retro-modern atmosphere still lingered in the air. Lined with old department stores with history and tradition and prestigious boutiques, Ginza was a flamboyant city even for sophisticated, fashion-conscious Japanese and even more so for people like me.
To me, Ginza was definitely the breath and brain of Tokyo and for the first time, I was showered with bright lights of the mega city that never sleeps. Ginza 4-chome intersection and its distinctive architecture, surrounding the intersection of Chuo-Dori Street and Harumi-Dori Street greeted me with its warm welcome, the perfect place to start my Ginza walk.
Walking in Ginza was like being in a never-ending fashion show and I felt like I was sitting in a VIP row, so close to the runway that showcased designer brands, from Prada to Burberry to Salvatore Ferragamo to Louis Vitton. Ginza was an eye-opener for me to the exciting and fascinating world of fashion and I meant it literally, especially when it came to the price tags that were enough to make my eyes go wide.
I strolled the streets of Ginza without clear intention to buy anything considering the price and exchange rate. Well, to tell the truth, I was hoping to find something that fits my wallet. Other than that, I was more drawn to get the feel of what Ginza has to offer for a foreigner like me and to get the understanding of the people, the culture and the colors of Tokyo.
What amazed me was how people of Tokyo treated me. I got the kind of respect I deserved, as their guest. And, the Japanese, they were down right polite. I could feel the warmness everywhere even though I didn’t understand the language. At times, I felt like they were saying something just to mock me because I was a non-Japanese speaking foreigner, but still, I could feel their honesty.
And, I also found out that even the back lanes of Ginza were not scary at all, a place I could walk safely without fear of getting mugged or pick pocketed. The feeling was amazing. I could feel safe even if I was in a foreign land, the feelings that I couldn’t get in New York or Chicago, or even Kuala Lumpur.
At 12:00 am, you could still find well-dressed, fully suited men holding briefcases and women in fashionable outfits, enjoying the drinks with friends after work. Laughter and conversation filled the atmosphere. Trains were packed especially after 12:00 am. Ginza line was only one of many train lines that transported commuters from suburban Tokyo and even outskirt areas. Perhaps limited parking spaces and high cost of parking fees made the traveling via trains a more cost effective alternative. And, if you look at the map and guide to train services in Tokyo, you can see extensive network of train lines that would make our train lines look more like a kindergarten’s school project.
Chazz - Ginza, Tokyo
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