|
The shopping area of Ginza is situated in the heart of Tokyo a couple
of hundred meters east of the imperial palace. It became
a shopping/hangout place for the most wealthy in the early 19th century during
the Meiji restoration during which the Japanese government encouraged western-style
development (horse-drawn cars, gaslights, etc) in the heart of Tokyo. The
district has withstood the test of time and still is the most uppercale shopping
district in Japan with tons of boutiques and department stores offering
high-end goods.
The floor rent in Ginza went up considerably last year and it now ranks 5th worldwide.
Here is the rent in US$ per year
per square meter of the most expensive shopping streets/districts in the world:
| | City | | Street/District | | 2005 $/m2 | | 2004 $/m2 |
|
| 1. | | New York | | Fifth Avenue | | 13,993 | | 10,226 (1) |
| 2. | | Hong Kong | | Causeway Bay | | 11,653 | | 6,126 (3) |
| 3. | | Paris | | Avenue des Champs Elysées | | 8,024 | | 7,648 (2) |
| 4. | | London | | New Bond Street | | 6,753 | | 5,564 (4) |
| 5. | | Tokyo | | Ginza | | 5,578 | | 3,348 (9) |
| 6. | | Dublin | | Grafton Street | | 4,423 | | 4,103 (5) |
| 7. | | Sydney | | Pitt Street Mall | | 3,807 | | 3,449 (8) |
| 8. | | Seoul | | Myeongdong | | 3,764 | | 3,241 (10) |
| 9. | | Munich | | Kaufingerstrasse | | 3,632 | | 3,577 (6) |
| 10. | | Zurich | | Bahnhofstrasse | | 3,513 | | 2,395 (13) |
The area can be reached through the subway
station Ginza, on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya line [station H08],
Marunouchi line [station M16], and Ginza line [station G09].
|
