Ginza is Tokyo’s most famous upscale shopping area of Tokyo, with numerous internationally renowned department stores, boutiques, restaurants, and coffeehouses located in its vicinity. One square meter of land in the district’s center is worth over ten million yen, making it one of the most expensive real estate in Japan. On Chuo Dori street, you will find many top fashions and cosmetic brand stores. It is closed to motor traffic on weekend afternoons and becomes a large pedestrian zone. Nearby, Yurakucho has even more high-end shops and izakaya restaurants. Ginza is considered to be one of the most expensive, elegant, and luxurious streets in the world.
Group Attractions
Ginza Six
Opened in spring 2017, GINZA SIX is Ginza’s largest commercial facility. Within the six floors, you'll find global fashion leaders, including flagship stores for Fendi, Saint Laurent, and Vivienne Westwood. Adding to the appeal are the modern art displays and galleries. The 4,000square-meter rooftop has a space that has been developed into a garden where one can see Mt Fuji, Tokyo Skytree, and Tokyo Tower on a clear day. There is also a terminal for tourist buses, a tourist information center, currency exchanges and duty exemption services cater to tourists.
Activities: Shopping Fee: None Time required: Minimum 1 hour (Image via Go To Tokyo)
Ginza Wako
Located on the corner of Ginza Yonchome in Tokyo, Wako is both a beloved landmark best known for its clock tower and a popular luxury-specialized department store. Owned by the world-famous Seiko watch brand, Wako offers luxury watches, fine jewelry, handbags, and homeware from both domestic and international brands. There is also an art gallery on the sixth floor and a tea salon on the second floor.
Activities: Shopping Fee: None Time required: Minimum 1 hour
Mitsukoshi
An established department store with over 80 years of history, the Mitsukoshi store of Ginza extends from the fourth-floor basement to the twelfth floor and carries a wide variety of items, from women’s and men’s clothing to jewelry and famous products from all over the country. Mitsukoshi was founded back in 1673 and the oldest surviving department store chain in Japan. The bronze lion outside Mitsukoshi’s main entrance is a popular meeting place.
Activities: Shopping Fee: None Time required: Minimum 1 hour (Image via Timeout)
Tokyu Plaza
Opened in 2016, the Tokyu Plaza Ginza shopping complex features 14 floors of shopping and dining establishments. Several shops with a collection of Made in Japan products have opened branches in this mall. Taking up two full floors is the largest duty-free shop in Tokyo--Lotte Duty Free Ginza. At Lotte Duty Free, customs tax, alcohol tax, and tobacco tax are excluded, just like at the airport. On the roof, there is an open terrace called the KIRIKO TERRACE with views over the city.
Activities: Shopping Fee: None Time required: Minimum 1 hour (Image via Matcha)
Marronnier Gate
Marronnier Gate is a large shopping facility divided into three buildings, “Marronnier Gate 1,” “Marronnier Gate 2,” and “Marronnier Gate 3.” It contains many shops ranging from small boutiques to multi-label fashion stores such as United Arrows and Journal Standard L’essage which target working woman aged 20-40. Other demographics indulge in retail therapy hopping at Tokyu Hands Ginza which features a wide variety of product types on the 5th to 9th floor in Building 1. Marronnier Gate 2 also features Uniqlo Ginza, one of the largest Uniqlo stores in the world. Restaurants on the upper floors serve Japanese, Western, and ethnic cuisines.
Activities: Shopping Fee: None Time required: Minimum 1 hour
Itoya
Established about a hundred years ago, Ginza Itoya is Japan’s best stationery specialty store, selling everything from original notebooks, cute pens, and crafting material, such as origami paper and stamps to paint supplies. You can write a letter and post it right away! The wide range of stylish and functional products has conquered the hearts of stationery enthusiasts all around the world. Each of the twelve floors of the building has its very own theme, making the tall shop seem like a stationery theme park.
Activities: Shopping, letter writing Fee: None Time required: Minimum 1 hour
Kabukiza Theater
Kabukiza Theater, which is directly connected to the Higashi-ginza Station, is a famous Kabuki theater where you can enjoy the classic Japanese dance-drama artform of kabuki. Dating back to 1889, Kabukiza has a rich history and has undergone reconstruction repairs roughly four times during the past 120 years. This tourist-friendly theatre is magnificent inside out, and a great place to learn about kabuki. One performance can last nearly five hours, but tourists can rent a headset to hear the scenes explained in English.
Activities: Kabuki watching Fee: JPY 1,000 – JPY 22,000 Time required: depending on the activity
Nearby Areas
Marunouchi Naka-dori is the main street of Marunouchi and one of the leading shopping streets in Japan. Lined with high-end stores, Marunouchi Naka-dori offers newly opened shopping and dining complexes.
The major station is a dining and shopping wonderland packed with shops and restaurants. You can buy all kinds of souvenirs in the Tokyo Station Ichiban Gai (First Avenue Tokyo Station) shopping/dining arcade, which is located directly downstairs of the main Yaesu Gate.