Exploring Tokyo’s Ginza: Art, Stationery, Fashion & Food

Exploring Tokyo’s Ginza: Art, Stationery, Fashion & Food

Hello, everyone! This is Mei.😊 Starting our walk in elegant Ginza — a mix of art, shopping, and food. One of Ginza’s iconic spots — Mitsukoshi (right) and Wako (left). Wako is a luxury department store with a beautiful clock tower. Let’s take a look at Wako’s show window. This show window always catches my eye. Ginza is a city full of art, and this is one of them. Here’s a display at Mitsukoshi. Mitsukoshi is one of Japan’s most historic department stores. Ginza’s main streets are lively, while the backstreets are calm and full of charm. The backstreets are lined with unique shops, including long-established stores and cozy cafés. Another way to enjoy Ginza is by looking at its buildings. From classic to contemporary, Ginza’s buildings are a sight to see. Here’s the famous Kabuki-za, Tokyo’s home of traditional Kabuki theater. If you’d like to watch just a bit of Kabuki, “One-Act” tickets are available for a few dozen US dollars. Check the link in the description for details. Now, let’s head to our lunch spot. Ginza is also home to many luxury brand shops. The buildings themselves are beautiful, making our walk even more enjoyable. Namiki-dori Street Namiki-dori is known for its luxury brands and stylish bars. This building is Mikasa Kaikan, a well-known historic restaurant in Ginza. It recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. The building houses Japanese, Teppanyaki, Italian, French, and Chinese dining. I’ve tried the teppanyaki steak before, and it was amazing. Here’s the Hermès building. It looks like they’re taking photos. It’s designed like a piece of art — so beautiful, isn’t it? You can enjoy art just by walking around the streets. This is Tokyu Plaza Ginza, a modern shopping and entertainment complex. Sukiya-dori Street This is Sukiyabashi Park, a small green space right in the heart of Ginza. This is the tonkatsu (pork cutlet) restaurant, Wagokoro Tonkatsu Anzu Hanare. Weekday lunch for the first 20 guests — ¥1,650 (US$12). It opens at 11 a.m. We came 30 minutes early and just made it — 17th and 18th of 20!😊 He’s deep-frying the cutlets now. The staff kindly explained the menu. Maitake mushroom rice Tempura with eggplant, lotus root, and mushroom. Pork cutlet Miyazaki beef truffle croquette Marinated pike eel Kiriboshi daikon Roast pork Tamagoyaki Simmered sweet potatoes with lemon Fresh spring rolls Simmered abalone Simmered assorted vegetables Wow, such a variety! ☺️ First, the filet cutlet. It’s tender and really delicious. Next is the Miyazaki beef truffle croquette. It has an amazing truffle aroma.✨ Look at this careful work — such beautiful decorative cuts. And the fresh green maple leaves add a touch of the season. I was completely satisfied.😊 Let’s head to our next destination. Ginza Akebono is a traditional Japanese sweets shop. These Shine Muscat mochi look delicious! We’re heading west with the Wako Clock Tower behind us, where we started. Such a beautiful Tiffany Blue color. You can see Uniqlo over there — a popular Japanese casual clothing brand. Let’s check it out later. We’ve arrived at Ginza Six. It’s a large shopping complex with luxury brands, restaurants, and cultural spaces. We’re on the 6th floor at Ginza Tsutaya Books. Colorful and cute bags♡ These bags are from a Kyoto shibori dye shop with over 100 years of history. It’s very light. Perfect for a small gift. This is a section showcasing Japanese culture. These are Edo Inuhariko, traditional Edo folk toys that are also famous as good luck charms. The dog wearing a bamboo sieve is so funny! These floral fans are beautiful! Ukiyo-e designs on nail stickers — so cool! This mini wallet is made with Nishijin-ori, a traditional Kyoto textile often used for kimonos It’s very elegant and luxurious. ¥6,490 (about US$45) If you look closely, it’s embossed. Anime Cel Art Exhibition An anime cel is a hand-painted sheet used in traditional animation. My favorite, Kiki and Jiji. ¥1,936,000 (about US $12,900)😱 Two artists express a world of transformation and renewal using ceramics and lacquer. Ginza Tsutaya Books, focused on art and Japanese culture, even has a Japanese sword shop. I love Doraemon. ♡ Dorayaki, too😄 I like how Tsutaya Books and Starbucks always create such a cozy space. And there’s some art here too. Here’s another piece of art — “Marathon. Women.” by Julian Opie, a world-famous contemporary artist from the UK. I found this museum-like shop, FUEGUIA 1833. It’s a South American fragrance shop using only plant-based ingredients, no artificial scents. I’d love to visit again. GINZA SIX also has a Tourist Service Center and a convenience store, which is very handy. I even got a very easy-to-read map of Ginza here. Just one block west from GINZA SIX is Shiseido Parlour. With over 100 years of history, this elegant café and restaurant serves upscale Western-style dishes and is famous for its desserts. There’s also a shop. These are Hanatsubaki (Camellia) biscuits. Isn’t the tin beautiful? This one is said to be store-exclusive. It has a very Japanese feel and is beautiful. This is the Shiseido Gallery, located on the B1 floor of the same building as Shiseido Parlor. You can enjoy art for free while dining or shopping. It was an exhibition by a pair of identical twin artists. I enjoy art without thinking too seriously about it. It’s said that this bookshelf is designed to resemble layers of the earth. Hanatsubaki (Camellia) Dori Street. How lovely!🌺 We’re turning back toward the Wako clock tower. At the Shiseido cosmetics store, they say they sell a cream for ¥130,000 (about US$860).😱 Always very popular. This is the store “Nippon Made” by Onitsuka Tiger, featuring high-quality sneakers made in Japan. This is UNIQLO Ginza, a flagship store with clothing and lifestyle items. This is art too. T-shirts are very popular with foreign visitors. I found the T-shirt I own! This is GU Ginza, a popular Japanese fashion store offering trendy and affordable clothing. GU is operated by the same company that runs UNIQLO. Omiyage means “souvenir” in Japanese. There are plenty of T-shirts here, perfect as souvenirs. Oh, Inuhariko! We’re back near the clock tower. Oh, an anpan! Next, let’s take a walk east from here. This is WAKO. On the right, there’s Mitsukoshi Department Store. This is Kimuraya, famous for its anpan (sweet red bean paste-filled bun). Kimuraya is a bakery with over 150 years of history. They offer not only red bean paste buns but also breads filled with various sweet pastes. Very delicious and highly recommended! This is Yamano Music, a music store in Ginza with over 100 years of history. This is the Mikimoto Ginza Main Store, a long-established shop famous for its high-quality pearl jewelry. Matsuya Ginza, a historic department store in Ginza celebrating over 100 years. This is Ginza Dori Street. On weekends, it becomes a pedestrian-only zone, making it fun to walk around. Apple store In Japanese, there’s a word “Ginbura.” “Gin” comes from Ginza, and “bura” is short for “burabura,” which means to stroll. So Ginbura means taking a leisurely stroll around Ginza. Ginza is truly a delightful place for a stroll. Our next destination is coming into view. This is Itoya, the famous stationery store. These furoshiki (traditional Japanese wrapping cloths) have very modern designs. They appear to be water-repellent — very convenient! ¥4,950 (about US$39) Let’s open this octopus ( tako in Japanese) notebook. It has a takoyaki recipe here. What fun fish notebooks! A ruler featuring a sardine design A compass (for drawing) So stylish! I have two Shupatto bags too, in different designs. It folds in an instant and can be stored compactly, making it very convenient. Highly recommended! ¥2,860 (about US$22) Necklaces with different messages — how interesting! I found some really lovely magnets! In Japan, the autumn leaves season is just around the corner. Such cute masking tapes! You can write and send a letter right here. Colorful pencil cases What a great idea! Prices vary depending on the size. Do you know FRIXION? It’s a brand of erasable pens I use it all the time. It smells so good all over this floor. 🌿 Maybe it’s this aroma oil? Wow, what lovely bags! They’re embroidered on organza fabric. The Mt. Fuji embroidery is lovely too. ✨ Itoya has been around since 1904. There’s a café on the 12th floor too. It’s such a joy to enjoy both stationery and coffee! The sun is setting. Ginza looks beautiful at night, too. This is Mikimoto Ginza 2-chome Store, famous for its pearls. I love the design of this building. Nearby is MUJI, known for its simple, high-quality everyday items. Baumkuchen, a traditional layered cake. So many flavors to pick from! Matcha flavor My husband and I use MUJI’s lotion and moisturizer. Affordable, so we can use them generously. MUJI also sells stationery. Ah, right! Let’s go check out pajamas. I need to get a new one from MUJI. Nearby, there’s another UNIQLO and GU store. Hope you enjoyed Ginza’s art, shopping, and gourmet food today. Thanks so much for watching! This channel shares local insights from Japan. If you enjoyed the video, please like, comment, and subscribe. See you in the next video😊

Come along as we explore Ginza! 🎨
Ginza, a district as beautiful as a work of art, is perfect for a leisurely stroll. We’ll introduce stylish Japanese goods, popular stationery, and design T-shirts — all great souvenir ideas. 🛍️
Look forward to a delicious Ginza lunch as well! This walking tour is perfect for anyone interested in Tokyo sightseeing and Ginza shopping.

⏱Time Stamp
0:00 Opening
0:37 Ginza Wako & Mitsukoshi
1:20 Mihara Shoro
1:55 Kabuki-za – Kabuki theater
2:14 Ginza Stroll
2:45 Mikasa kaikan – historic restaurants
3:13 Hermès
3:54 Sukiyabashi Park
4:03 Washin Tonkatsu Anzu Hanare – lunch
6:02 Ginza Stroll
7:31 Ginza Six – Shopping complex
8:03 Tsutaya Books – Souvenirs, Art, Japanese Culture & Cafe
12:15 Shiseido Parlour
12:49 Shiseido Gallery
13:39 Ginza Stroll – Shiseido cosmetics, Onitsuka Tiger..
13:59 Uniqlo – fashion
14:54 GU – fashion
16:24 Kimuraya – bakery
16:45 Ginza Stroll – Yamano music, Mikimoto..
19:13 Itoya – stationary
25:54 Muji – lifestyle

Kubuki Single Act Seats Online Ticket
https://www.e-tix.jp/shochiku_makumi/en/

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