GINZA
Hyatt Centric Ginza’s prime location leaves you with more things to do than time will likely permit. The neighborhood is just about two square kilometers, divided into eight sections, one through eight. Ginza Station, about a three-minute walk, offers access to multiple lines including the Marunouchi, Hibiya, and Ginza lines. Also a short walk from the hotel is the Yurakucho area brimming with izakayas and the JR Yurakucho station. Just a subway or quick taxi ride away are financial districts like Marunouchi and Nihonbashi, Shinbashi and Roppong business and entertainment districts, Omotesando, Tokyo Tower, Asakusa and more. Here are some of my favorite discoveries:
PRINTING PRESS FLASHBACK It’s not every day that you get to see the tradition of block printing. Local letterpress printing company Nakamura Katsuji, a family-run business, has been operating in Ginza since 1910. Once surrounded by other printing shops and newspaper offices, it is now one of the only letterpress companies left in Ginza.
PHOTO BY { BETH WEITZMAN
SEE/DO/EAT
TEMPLES & SHRINES Shrines and temples, many centuries old, are scattered
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to absorb and participate in the local culture. Visitors may join in by making an offering and saying a prayer for good luck and fortune. Not-to-miss spots include the Meiji Shrine, one of the most popular, located in Shibuya. This Shinto shrine, surrounded by Yoyogi Park, is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken. Also memorable are Sensōji Temple, Tokyo’s oldest, a historic landmark that was built to honor Kannon, the goddess of mercy; and Zojoji Buddhist Temple, surrounded by tall towers including the closeby Tokyo Tower, partly made famous by its appearance in The
Wolverine in 2013.
PHOTO BY { SARA HANNA PHOTOGRAPHY
LIVING GOOD
Gio
ISSUE No. 3
throughout the city, offering a peaceful respite, a moment
