Ginza Attractions

It is no surprise that the bustling, frenetic Tsukiji Market is a popular tourist destination. Nowhere else in the world will you see so many varieties of seafood under one roof. Restaurants such as Sushi Dai and Daiwa Sushi have lines out the door before the sun comes up with customers hungry for fish as fresh as it comes.

The Tsukiji places that I am most familiar with, however, are the many shops in the outer market. These are open to the public, and you can get your hands on the same goods that are stocked in many of the top restaurants in town. Keep in mind that shopping at Tsukiji is not as easy as at, say, depachika. Navigating the narrow aisles of Tsukiji, you must watch where you step and be mindful of the speeding stevedores. But your energies and efforts will be rewarded. Here are some of my favorite shops; I am sure you will discover your own.

If you are allergic to cooking, or are too busy to bother, you can pick up ready-to-go meals. For fans of oden, Tsukugon puts the convenience-store varieties to shame. Served up with some nihonshu, these bites of fish deep-fried and stuffed with goodies like shrimp or gobo (burdock) are irresistible. An oden feast wouldn’t be complete without some tender, slow-simmered daikon, deep-fried ganmodoki tofu, and light, airy hanpen fish cakes, which look like marshmallows.

Fans of dim sum can indulge in the homemade yummies at Yamucha Suga Shoten. The food here is much better than anything you can get at your local supermarket, and it saves you a trip to Chinatown in Yokohama. Chill some beers, pack your steamer with gyoza, shumai and nikuman, and you are ready to chow.

For home cooks, there are plenty of shops to satisfy any urge. In the mood for something hot and spicy? Check out the varieties of kimchi, including negi, sesame leaf and octopus, at Marukita. Fill up your basket with Korean seaweed, sweet miso for barbecues or marinades, and some creamy, sweet makkoli—low in alcohol and an interesting alternative to Japanese nigorizake. Incorporate the kimchi into fried rice, serve it up in a nabe with some tofu and thinly sliced pork, or simply eat it as a beer snack with some of that addictive Korean seaweed flavored with sesame oil and a generous sprinkle of salt.


The variety of vegetables available in Japan is one of the delights of cooking at home. At Vegetable Ishibashi, you will discover produce you can’t find at your neighborhood supa. Check out the kyo-yasai—vegetables native to Kyoto, such as mizuna salad greens. Kyo-imo potatoes simmered until tender are dense and rich, and the sweet, burnt-orange kyo-ninjin carrots will add color to any dish.

If you are excited by the smell of sweet vinegar, and if pickles tickle your toes, don’t miss Juichiya. With over 400 varieties of seasonally changing pickles in their portfolio, this shop offers
a couple hundred at any time of the year—colorful vegetables pickled in salt, vinegar, miso and more. From the ubiquitous umeboshi apricots found in every bento box to the heady narazuke, which is pickled for years and is an acquired taste, you’ll find something here to make you pucker.

The venerable knife shop Aritsugu, from Kyoto’s Nishiki Market, dates back 400 years. At its sister shop in Tsukiji, you can invest in everything from knives to graters to strainers. The cutlery, if cared for properly, will last a lifetime, and would make a great gift for any cook.
Tsukiji is centrally located in the heart of the city, just a short walk from Ginza or Tsukiji stations. It’s scheduled to move to Toyosu in 2012, so come now and dive in to the market before it becomes a part of history.

These shops are open every day except Sunday, national holidays and Tsukiji market holidays (usually two Wednesdays per month).

Tsukugon 4-12-5 Tsukiji. Tel: 03-3542-0181. Open 7am-2:30pm.

Yamucha Suga Shoten 4-10-2 Tsukiji. Tel: 03-3541-9941. Open 6am-3pm.

Marukita 4-9-5 Tsukiji. Tel: 03-3543-5643. Open 5am-1:30pm.

Vegetable Ishibashi 4-10-1 Tsukiji. Tel: 03-3545-1538. Open 5am-1pm (approx).

Juichiya 5-2-1 Tsukiji. Tel: 03-3541-8118. Open 5-11am.

Aritsugu 4-13-6 Tsukiji. Tel: 03-3541-6890. Open 5:30am-3pm.

Kabuki-za, the main kabuki theater in Tokyo since 1889, usually features two daily performances each consisting of three or four plays, and the repertoire is changed monthly. For JPY650, non-Japanese-speaking visitors can hire earphones that give an explanation in English. The visitor who does not have time for an entire performance can buy a ticket for the 4th floor to watch part of the show, but earphones are not available. Five restaurants provide a wide range of Japanese food and refreshments for visitors.

Operated by Japan Broadcast Corporation, this museum features high-definition broadcast systems, earlier broadcast equipment, an experience studio, and a video showing room for older TV programs.

Located a short stroll from Tokyo Bay and just beside the popular Tsukiji Fish Market, step into a landscaper's dream as you enter Hama Rikyu Garden. With carefully trimmed plum, pine and other bonsai-like shaped trees marking the little path around the garden, a pond with a beautifully restored teahouse serves as the center of this little oasis. Cross over the pond via the zigzagging wooden bridge and take a step back into the days of Edo. Hama Rikyu Garden is 300 meters east of JR Shimbashi Station.

Though most pathways of gardens in Japan are strewn with countless number of small pebbles and rocks of varying sizes, none can match the size and variety of the 55 rocks of Kiyosumi Garden. These huge rocks were brought here from all over Japan by Yataro Iwasaki, who is credited with rebuilding this beautiful garden in 1878. Scattered around this 12-acre greenbelt, visitors will also find other stones and bridges which lead to landscaped islands protected by beautifully shaped pine trees and a variety of indigenous flowers.

Tokyo's necropolis, the Aoyama Cemetery, occupies some of the most expensive real estate in Tokyo. All of 263,500 square meters and 100,000 graves, this place has been the resting place of Japan's most famous people including celebrities, powerful politicians, acclaimed scientists, and talented artists since 1874. The numerous cherry trees and the space makes you forget the real purpose of the place making it a favorite for walking and cherry blossom viewing in early April.

Before the decision by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in the 17th century to move Kanda Myojin to its present location, the original shrine in Otemachi, where the body of the popular 10th century rebel leader Taira no Masakado rests, dates back to 730 A.D. The shrine, itself is an aesthetic disappointment, but is the starting point of the well-loved Kanda Festival held in mid-May every two years.

Officially known as the Resurrection Cathedral of the Orthodox Church in Japan, this odd, though beautiful Byzantine-design Russian Orthodox church took its nickname from Archbishop Nikolai, its first administrator until his death in 1912. The original plans for Nikolai Do with the green onion dome were drawn up in St. Petersburg by Josiah Conder, a British architect, and the construction was completed in 1891. Service is in Japanese.

The museum offers an overview of Japanese crafts, many executed by famous artisans. The contemporary world of Japanese handicrafts is thriving as can be seen by viewing the collection which covers lacquer, metal and glass work, textiles, ceramics and of course, bamboo. The visitor might decide to return again because the exhibits change often or just to enjoy the adjacent park.

As one of the four National Museums of Tokyo, the National Museum of Modern Art has art galleries in its main building in Kitanomaru Koen, near the Imperial Palace and in Kyobashi. The museum aims at promoting modern Japanese art in and beyond Japan—primary activities include collecting and preserving artworks and films of the 20th century, conducting surveys and research on art, and organising exhibitions throughout the year. Other initiatives consist of arranging art lectures on specific themes, holding gallery talks and publishing exhibition catalogues. Check the website for more information.

Jakotsu-yu is an Edo Period sento (public bath) in the historic Asakusa area. The water here, drawn from a deep well, flows into the baths the color of brown tea and is kept at a traditional 45 degrees Centigrade, the time-honored temperature of Japanese baths. While water at this temperature must be entered cautiously, and takes a few moments to adjust to, no tense muscles can withstand it for more than a few seconds. Jakotsu-yu has a quaint outdoor bath in a small enclosure hung with lamps. There is also a spacious sauna where you can sweat out.

Yushima was founded in 1355 but the main building was re-built in the 1880s. The stunning bronze gate is over 200 years old. In fact this shrine is as well known for its plum garden as it is for its association with the main shrine in Kyushu, which honors a Heian poet, Michizane Sugawara. Admission: Free

Perhaps one of the most aesthetic examples of the legacy of the fedudal age is this temple belonging to the Kyushu Nabeshima family—who were responsible for the introduction into Japan of porcelain production. Members of the Tokyo branch of this very influential "daimyo" family are buried amidst palisades of stone, sixteen stupas, and imposing stone lanterns.

Shogun Tsunayoshi, a strong advocate of Confucius, established this major Confucian shrine in 1632. A forerunner to Tokyo University during the Edo Period (pre-1868 Tokyo), the buildings were a government sponsored school for training bureaucrats. Formerly located in Ueno Park, the shrine was relocated to Yushima in 1691. The main hall dates to 1935 and was designed by prominent architect Chuta Ota. The hall, which houses a 17th century image of Confucius, is open on Sundays, but the courtyard can be seen any day.

Named for an Indian goddess (Brahmin Benten's daughter Marici) Marishi is known for usually being perched on top of a boar and is distinctive with her fours arms and three faces. She safeguards warriors and is popularly patronized as a facilitator for good business (which may explain the location) in the middle of a former black market area of Ameyoko on the second floor of a commercial building.