Nihombashi 日本橋

Nihombashi means "Japan Bridge". The first bridge was built here in 1603, and for the next two and a half centuries this was the commercial centre of Edo, the city that became Tokyo. Distances along the great highways were counted from this spot.

Today it is a district of banks and department stores, but the old trades survive between them. It is the best place in central Tokyo to buy things that are made well and travel well.

What to see

1. 01

   Nihombashi bridge

   The present stone bridge dates from 1911. Look for the bronze kirin, winged mythical creatures, on the lamp posts, and the marker in the roadway that shows the starting point of Japan's national roads.

2. 02

   Mitsukoshi main store

   Japan's oldest department store, guarded by two bronze lions at the door. The basement food hall is a good introduction to Japanese sweets and packed lunches.

3. 03

   Coredo Muromachi

   A cluster of modern buildings filled with long-established shops: knives, lacquer, gold leaf, dried bonito. A small shrine, Fukutoku, sits in the lane behind.

4. 04

   Long-established shops

   Several shops here trace their history back two or three hundred years, selling tea and seaweed, handmade paper, and traditional confectionery. Staff are used to visitors and happy to explain.

5. 05

   Bank of Japan and Mitsui Main Building

   Two heavy stone buildings from the early twentieth century that give this part of the street its character. The bank's old wing was designed by the same architect as Tokyo Station.

Good to know

• An expressway currently runs above the bridge. A long-term project is under way to move it underground.
• Shops here tend to open around mid-morning. Come after the palace, not before.
• Dried goods, tea and paper are light, flat and allowed through customs in most countries, which makes them easy gifts.