Nihonbashi
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- For the place in Osaka written with the same kanji in Japanese, see Nipponbashi.
Nihonbashi (日本橋? lit. Japan Bridge), or Nihombashi, is a business district of Chuo Ward, Tokyo, Japan, surrounding a famous bridge of the same name. The district covers a large area to the north and east of the bridge, reaching Akihabara to the north and the Sumida River to the east. Otemachi is to the west and Yaesu and Ginza to the south.
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[edit] History
The Nihonbashi district was a major mercantile center during the Edo period: its early development is largely credited to the Mitsui family, who based their wholesaling business in Nihonbashi and developed Japan's first department store, Mitsukoshi, there. The Edo-era fish market formerly in Nihonbashi was the predecessor of today's Tsukiji fish market. In later years, Nihonbashi emerged as Tokyo's (and Japan's) predominant financial district.
The Nihonbashi bridge first became famous during the 1600s, when it was the eastern terminus of the Tōkaidō road between Edo and Kyoto. During this time, it was known as Edobashi, or "Edo Bridge." In the Meiji era, the wooden bridge was replaced by a larger stone bridge, which still stands today (a replica of the old bridge has been exhibited at the Edo-Tokyo Museum). It is the point from which Japanese people measure distances: highway signs that report the distance to Tokyo actually state the number of kilometers to Nihonbashi.
Shortly before the 1964 Summer Olympics, an expressway was built over the Nihonbashi bridge, obscuring the classic view of Mount Fuji from the bridge. In recent years, local citizens have petitioned the government to move this expressway underground. This plan was supported by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi but opposed by Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara. If implemented, the construction costs are expected to total ¥500 billion (about US$4+ billion).
[edit] Trivia
- Nihonbashi features as a playable area in the 2004 PlayStation 2 game, Shadow Hearts: Covenant.
[edit] Places in Nihonbashi
- Bank of Japan
- Mitsukoshi and Takashimaya department stores
- Tokyo Stock Exchange
[edit] Companies based in Nihonbashi
- Daiichi Pharmaceuticals
- Daiwa Securities
- IBM Japan
- Marubeni
- Marubun
- Maruzen
- Merrill Lynch Japan
- Mitsui
- Mitsubishi Securities
- Mitsukoshi
- Neo Wing
- Nikkō Securities
- Nomura
- Takeda
- TDK
[edit] Railway and subway stations
- Bakurocho Station (Sobu Rapid Line)
- Bakuro-yokoyama Station (Toei Shinjuku Line)
- Hamamachi Station (Toei Shinjuku Line)
- Kayabacho Station (Hibiya Line, Tozai Line)
- Kodemmacho Station (Hibiya Line)
- Mitsukoshimae Station (Ginza Line, Hanzomon Line)
- Nihombashi Station (Ginza Line, Toei Asakusa Line, Tozai Line)
- Ningyocho Station (Hibiya Line, Toei Asakusa Line)
- Shin-nihombashi Station (Sobu Rapid Line)
- Suitengumae Station (Hanzomon Line)
