Walk in the Downtown Where New and Old Streets Intersect! Recommended Half-day Course Near Nihonbashi
04/20/2018
Nihonbashi is a city where merchants and craftsmen gather from all over Japan, the shops such as traditional old-established restaurants and Japanese sweet shops. Nihonbashi famous bridge "Nihonbashi" was born in 1603, and during Edo period, it was a wooden bridge. At that time it is said that Nihonbashi was a huge city than Paris and London. The "Nihonbashi" stone double arch bridge you can see now was rebuilt in 1911.
Now, Nihonbashi is divided into five areas:"Nihonbashi / Muromachi Area" where history and modern intersect, "Tokyo Station / Yaesu Area" the place where connecting to Nihonbashi, the birthplace of Japanese Wall Street "Kabutocho ·Kayabacho area”, "Yokoyama-cho, Bakura-cho, East Nihonbashi Area" which is said to be the creator's town and where the wholesale streets of textiles and apparel are gathered, and "Ningyocho, Hamamatsu Area", where old wooden Japanese houses still remain in the downtown.
This time, I will introduce a few sightseeing spots in downtown where the new and old streets intersect. Take a step back in 'Nihonbashi' where you can find a magical feeling that mixes with the modern age, as if you were going through a old street alley, as if you had time slip!
Spot ① Worship for Safe Child Delivery and Smooth Child Delivery at Suitengu
Lets wake up early and start a day at Suitengu! The Suitengu is a shrine in Kurume, Fukuoka prefecture, and also have it in all over Japan. It has a long history since 1818, known as God of childbirth, a charm against drowning, and especially is famous as a praying place for easy child delivery in Tokyo.
Before entering the shrine precinct, there are a few things to do, so let me explain to everyone first. First entering at a Torii, you need to bow once, and before the worship, you need to clean your hands and mouth at Chozusha. After you finish, please go through the approach and enter the precinct. Let's go through the edge as it is said that God will pass in the middle. When you arrive, please ring the bell, put in a money into a offertory box, bow twice, clap your hands above your chest twice and bow once again. Please bow deeper.
Stroke the God of Dog（Kodakara Inu-sama) to Give You a Good Luck for Baby Birth!
The statue of parent and child dog is so adorable! It is said that there are benefits, such as delivery of child birth, safe delivery, and safe growth when you stroke the dog when you come at your zodiac year.
You can also buy “Ema” and pray for a safe child delivery or baby birth!!
At Suitengu, ”Obi Iwai (the celebration of one`s fifth month of pregnancy)” is the most famous thing, but also the dog's ornament "Fuku Inu (the dog of wealth)” is popular.
Large:1000 yen / Small 500 yen ※The pattern is different
If you would like to give a child, or want a god to watch over the safe child delivery etc., please visit "Suitengu."
Detail
[Address] 2-4-1 Nihonbashi Kakigaracho, Chuo-ku Tokyo 103-0014
[Access] 1 min walk from Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line, “Suitengu-mae” station, exit 5
6 min walk from Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line,”Ningyo-cho”station, A1 exit
8 min walk from Toei Asakusa Line,”Ningyocho” station, A3 exit
12 min walk from Toei Shinjuku Line,”Hamacho” station, A2 exit
[URL] http://www.suitengu.or.jp
Spot ② Amazake Yokocho
After visiting the shrine, let's take a walk on "Amazake Yokocho" in Ningyocho. It is a place where old-established stores are gathered, with an old nostalgic atmosphere.
① One of the Oldest Sukiyaki Restaurant that Represent of Tokyo: Ningyocho Imahan Main Store
How about having delicious Shabu-Shabu and Sukiyaki for lunch? The "Ningyocho Imahan" was founded in 1895 as first as a beef hot pot restaurant.
The signature here is "Sukiyaki" that make with only soy sauce and sugar. They cooked Japanese Wagyu beef and vegetables with that two seasonings and make it sweet, and eat it with raw egg. In addition, Shabu Shabu here is finished in a soup with clean and richness taste by blending two kinds of seaweeds. It is tasty to put Japanese beef quickly into soup for few seconds, and eat it with ponzu or sesame sauce! The meat is very soft, and both of them use carefully selected ingredients and the finest Japanese Kuroge Wagyu beef ! ※Kuroge Wagyu: Black cow.
Sukiyaki
Detail
[Operation Hours] 11:00～22:00 (Holiday: 1/1 ) / Weekdays: 15:00～17:00 Closed
[Address] 2-9-12 Ningyocho Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0013
[Tel] 03-3666-7006 / For reservation or changes: 070-1427-672
[Access] 1 min walk from Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, “Ningyocho” station, A1 exit
2 min walk from Toei Asakusa Line, “Ningyocho” station
3 min walk from Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line,”Suitengu-mae” station exit 7
[URL]
https://www.google.com/url?q=http://brangista.j-server.com/BRANIMAHAN/ns/tl.cgi/http://www.imahan.com/?SLANG%3Dja%26TLANG%3Dzhb%26XMODE%3D0%26XCHARSET%3Dutf-8%26XJSID%3D0&sa=D&ust=1521686853143000&usg=AFQjCNGrvMCXmEyRA9HqKZfdggVLRxDQ3w (English)
②Founded over 100 years, one of the 3 Major Taiyaki in Tokyo: Taiyaki Yanagiya
The “Taiyaki Yanagiya” had established since 1916. They are using red beans from Hokkaido and sugar with higher accuracy. They baked each Taiyaki using a separate Taiyaki mold, so unlike the one baked in large quantities at once, they baked each one carefully. Therefore, they can bake equally and the dough is crispy, thin, and it contains plenty of red bean paste inside. It is also not that sweet!
[Operation Hours] （Mon～Sat）12:30～18:00
[Holiday] Sun・Public Holiday
[Address] 2-11-3 Nihonbashi Ningyocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
[Tel] 03-3666-9901
[Access] 3 min walk from Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line Ningyocho Station, A1 exit
※Card is not accepted
③ Edoya
©biblio_babel
"Edoya" was founded in 1718 and has a long history of a brush specialty store dealing with clothes brushes and shoe brushes etc. It is an artificial product that puts hair one hole per hole and implant in the hands of a skilled craftsman. Always thinking "sincere", "good quality", "service", and sells high-quality handicraft products that protect their tradition. The "clothes brush" and "shoe brush" that can remove dust etc.are the most popular items!
Top：Portable clothes brush Bottom：Hair brush made it with boar hair
Detail
[Operation Hours] 9-17pm<
[Holiday] Weekend, Public Holiday
[Address] 2-16 Nihonbashi Odenmacho, Chiuo-ku, Tokyo
[Access] 1min walk from Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line,”Ningyocho” station, A1 exit
5 min walk from Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line,”Odenmacho” station
10 min walk from JR Sobu Line,”Shin Nihonbashi” station”, exit 5
[URL] http://www.nihonbashi-edoya.co.jp/index.html
Spot③ Mitsui Main Building: Which Became the Shooting Spot of Popular Drama "Hanzawa Naoki" and "Hero"!
©twitter
Next, let's go and see the historical building in Japan! The "Mitsui Main Building" in Nihonbashi Muromachi was used to be called,”Wall Street in Tokyo” and was regarded as the center of finance. The exterior uses granite, and the interior uses marble etc from Venezuela, Italy. After the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, there was not much damage, but to withstand this double of that earthquake and the development of various projects, the old main building was dismantled and renovated by American designers. It is also famous for becoming a shooting spot of "Hanzawa Naoki" and "Hero" that became popular drama. Mitsui Main Building is an office building owned by Mitsui Fudosan.
The large safe in the basement of a door have a thickness of 90 cm and heavy as the weight about 50 tons. It is also designated as the "Nihonbashi Nation Building Collection National Designated Important Cultural Property". In currently, Mitsui Fudosan Headquarters and Mitsui Sumitomo Nihonbashi Branch are in this building, and on the 7th floor there is the Mitsui Art Museum, which the collections of artwork owned by the former Mitsui family are stored.
Detail
Mitsui Main Building
[Address] 2-1-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi Chuo-ku, Tokyo
◎Bank of Japan Head Office: Designed by Mr. Kingo Tatsuno Who Many Japanese Architects were Influenced
Next to the Mitsui Main Building, there is "Bank of Japan Head Office." The building was made by the architect, Mr. Kingo Tatsuno who designed the one of the popular sightseeing spot now,”Tokyo station.” He also mainly designed many domestic banks in Japan. Mr. Kingo Tatsuno was a person who built architectural studies in Japan, and produced many architects and established the Department of Architecture of Waseda University in 1912. This "Bank of Japan Head Office" was built in 1896, as a model of the central bank of Belgium, and is certified as an important cultural asset. The exterior uses granite and it is made by piling up with bricks.
In Taiwan, Korea and China, there are many buildings designed by disciples influenced by Mr. Kengo Tatsuno made by Japanese architects.
Detail
Bank of Japan Head Office
[Address] 2-1-1 Nihonbashi Hongoku-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0021
[Operation Hours] 9-15pm
[Holiday] Weekend
Spot ⑤ Shopping Mall Where Old and New Japanese Culture Intersect: COREDO Muromachi
At last, let's go to "COREDO Muromachi" where Nihonbashi long-established historical shops and contemporary style stores are gathered! The "COREDO Muromachi" is owned by Mitsui Fudosan. The upper floor rooms is the leasing for office space, and the bottom floor contains commercial tenants.
COREDO Muromachi is separated to 3 buildings, and COREDO Muromachi 1 and 2 are concentrated in eating and drinking establishments. COREDO Muromachi 1 has many cafes and sweet shops. Mainly Japanese food, and contains stores such as "Funabashiya" which is famous for Kuzu-mochi and "Ninben Nihonbashi main store" famous for shave dried bonito. COREDO Muromachi 2 have a choices of restaurants more than Coredo 1 from Japanese, Western and Chinese, and also contains sweet shops and TOHO Cinema. First Tokyo shop,"Nihonbashi Imoya Kinjiro" is a Imokenpin sweet store from Kochi prefecture. ※Imokenpi=Striped sweetened sweet potato fries coated with sugar. They are using domestic sweet potatoes that do not use any additives or synthetic sweeteners. There is also a desire to have customers to enjoy the fresh fried Imokenpi, they also provide crispy, "Fried olive oil Imokenpi", which is popular among customers.
Nihonbashi Imoya Kinjiro
COREDO Muromachi 3 has fashion, interior and variety goods. Japanese dashi (soup stock) specialty store in Fukuoka, "Kasanoya" is also selling the best dashi suitable for various dishes without using chemical seasonings at all. Also, Kyoto's long-established sweet shop, "Tsuruya Yoshinobu" is here, a popular "Made in Japan" socks speciality shop "Tabio", and “Iori”, the famous Imabari Towel boasting Japan and more.
Tsuruya Yoshinobu
Detail
[Operation Hours] Shop：10:00～21:00 ※Depends on the stores
Restaurant: 11:00～23:00 ※Depends on the stores
[Address] COREDO Muromachi 1 : 2-2-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi Chuo-ku, Tokyo
COREDO Muromachi 2：2-3-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi Chuo-ku, Tokyo
COREDO Muromachi 3：1-5-5 Nihonbashi Muromachi Chuo-ku, Tokyo
[Access] Directly from Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line・Ginza Line,“Mitsukoshi station” A6 exit
Directly from JR Sobu Line,”Shin Nihonbashi station”
[URL] https://mitsui-shopping-park.com.e.act.hp.transer.com/urban/institution.php?iid=0013 （EN)
There is also retro Nihonbashi Takashimaya, Mitsukoshi department store that had been marked as National Designated Important Cultural Property and many long-established shops were gathered here in Nihonbashi. If you walk in the alley, you may will be able to touch various discoveries and history.
Shops and tourist spots that appeared in the guide articles
Sorry. No data so far.
