🗺️ Nihonbashi (Tokyo)

Tokyo Nihonbashi is located in the northern part of Chuo Ward, Tokyo. In the 8th year of the Keicho era (1603), when Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Edo Shogunate, this large bridge spanning the canal also became the origin of the place name. Nihonbashi not only served as a dock for transporting goods but also established the "Five Main Roads" that started from Nihonbashi and led to various parts of the country, developing into a major hub for land and sea transportation and logistics. It gathered many merchants and residents, becoming one of the representative areas of the downtown. During the Edo period, near the current Chuo-dori area, kimono shops sprang up like mushrooms after rain. Entering the Meiji era, with Japan's modernization, kimono shops transformed into department stores. The first department store in Japan, "Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store," still retains the building from when it opened, along with the "Nihonbashi Takashimaya," designated as an important cultural property of the nation, and large commercial facilities such as "COREDO Nihonbashi," which opened at the former sites of early department stores "Shirokiya" and "Tokyu Department Store." This area is one of the top commercial districts in Tokyo, bustling with activity.

Since the establishment of the Edo Shogunate, it has developed into a major hub for transportation and logistics. The kimono shops that thrived during the Edo period transformed into department stores in the Meiji era. Near Chuo-dori, there are still many commercial facilities today, such as Mitsukoshi, Takashimaya, and COREDO Nihonbashi. The five main roads, centered around Nihonbashi, still have seven national highways that begin at Nihonbashi.