The area around the Imperial Palace is surrounded by trees and many people come to enjoy relaxing, walking, or jogging. The outer garden of the Imperial Palace and Nijubashi Bridge are close to Marunouchi and popular spots for sightseeing. This area is also famous for beautiful cherry blossoms and is enlivened with many visitors every spring.

Kabuki-za is a theater exclusively for Kabuki. It was first established in 1889 and the current building is a 1951 reconstruction following destruction in World War II. The Momoyama-style building is popular as a traditional building, but is to be reconstructed after April 2010 due to aging. If you buy a "makumi," or one-act ticket, you can enjoy Kabuki in a casual way, and an earphone guide will help your understanding. *It will be closed from end-April 2010 because of reconstruction.

Tsukiji Jogai Shijo is a shopping area adjacent to Tsukiji fish market, the biggest fish market in Japan. Its history dates back to the Taisho era (1912-1926) and now it has more than 400 shops. All food and food-related items, including fresh ingredients and cooking utensils, are available at reasonable prices. There are many restaurants serving sushi and rice bowl dishes. Visitors can enjoy not only shopping but also eating fresh seafood.

There are many department stores around the intersection of Ginza 4-chome. Matsuzakaya was built in 1924 and has the distinction of being the first department store in Ginza. It has various confectioneries on the first basement floor that are famous as the first such shops in Japan or Tokyo. Matsuya is a popular department store especially among women, thanks to its for reputation wide availability of various types of luxurious clothes and accessories. Mitsukoshi provides a large variety of cosmetics and some 30 brands of cosmetics are sold at "Ginza Cosme World" on the 1st floor. Printemps Ginza is well known for fashion, interior goods, wine and sweets, and is popular especially among young working women.

Luxury brand shops from all over the world crowd the streets of the central Ginza area. Among them are the flagship store of Mikimoto Pearl, Chanel, Prada, Hermes, Coach, Louis Vuitton, and other of the world's top brands. Visitors to the Bulgari Ginza Tower will also find a restaurant and a bar on the upper floor, the first ones opened by Bulgari in Japan. Armani Ginza Tower not only offers clothing but also features the company's first spa opened in the world, Armani Spa, and a restaurant ? "total life style" support for visitors to the tower. Armani's special Ginza Tower label will only be available at this tower. Other brands also offer special items only available in Tokyo.

Ginza Ito-ya is a stationery shop established in 1904. Its nine-story building is filled with attractive stationery items, from original goods to goods imported from all over the world, and just looking at them is quite enjoyable. A variety of Japanese products, such as cards using washi (traditional Japanese paper), fans, tenugui (facecloth), and furoshiki (cloth for wrapping things), are also available. At its annex (Papierium Ginza), you can buy various types of paper craft goods, including paper of unique design, ribbons, seals and stamps. After seeing such goods, you are sure to be inspired to want to create something original using paper.

Beer Hall Lion is the oldest beer hall in existence in Japan, built in 1934. Its interior is magnificent with the high ceiling, gorgeous tiles on the wall, and the huge glass mosaic motifs on the front wall. It keeps the original atmosphere of the 1930's intact. You will enjoy fresh draft beer directly shipped from Sapporo Brewery's factory. It is produced and delivered under strict quality control and professional bartenders offer you the best beer straight from the tap. Food menus are also available and offer items that go very well with beer. Especially recommended is the limited-order succulent roast beef cooked for hours with a large quantity of vegetables.

Shiseido Parlour is a long-established shop built originally in 1902 as a soda fountain to sell soda water ? a first in Japan ? and to make and sell ice cream, which was quite unusual those days. In 1928, it opened a restaurant and started serving Western cuisine. Now you can enjoy authentic Western food on the 4th and 5th floors. Salon de Cafe on the 3rd floor provides desserts available only at this shop in Ginza as well as traditional menu items.

Kyubey is a sushi restaurant established in 1935. Its style is called Edomae-zushi, which reflects its origins in Edo (present-day Tokyo) in the 18th century. Many artists and well-known people from the worlds of politics and business with an epicurean have long loved sushi here. Kitaoji Rosanjin, who was an accomplished potter and also known as a gastronome, was typically one of them. Kyubey is well known for being the first to use sea urchin and salmon roe on sushi. You can enjoy the most choice selection of fresh fish served by a professional sushi master. Also, the master will serve sushi at pace suited to each customer, sometimes with some pleasant or informative small talk.