Ginza 4-Chome & Wako Clock Tower: The Silver Mint of the Shogun

Why is it significant?

Halt at the corner of Ginza 4-Chome Crossing, Tokyo's most celebrated and prestigious commercial crossroads.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Halt at the corner of Ginza 4-Chome Crossing, Tokyo's most celebrated and prestigious commercial crossroads. Rising majestically above the intersection stands the curved granite facade and ornate clock tower of the Wako Building, designed by master architect Jin Watanabe in nineteen thirty-two in the Neo-Renaissance style. Its bronze-framed clock, crafted by Seiko founder Kintaro Hattori, chimes Westminster quarters every hour on the hour, its clear bell notes drifting over the polished granite sidewalks. The curved stonework radiates understated pre-war elegance amidst neon commercial displays.

The name Ginza translates literally to Silver Mint: in sixteen twelve, Tokugawa Ieyasu relocated the shogunate's official silver coin foundry to this exact neighborhood, establishing a prosperous quarter of silversmiths, assayers, and luxury traders. Following a devastating fire in eighteen seventy-two, the Meiji government hired British architect Thomas Waters to rebuild the entire avenue in red brick, creating Japan's very first Western-style shopping street, known as Ginza Bricktown. That bold urban experiment set the precedent for Tokyo's modernization, inspiring department stores, cafes, and fashion tailors to open along the boulevard.

Miraculously, the Wako clock tower survived the heavy incendiary bombings of nineteen forty-five virtually unscathed. During the Allied postwar occupation of Japan, General Douglas MacArthur requisitioned the building as the Tokyo PX, the military department store where American soldiers shopped for watches, silk kimonos, and souvenirs. It became an enduring national symbol of Tokyo's ability to survive wartime devastation, preserve its heritage, and lead the nation into post-war prosperity.

On weekends and national holidays, Chuo-dori is closed entirely to vehicular traffic, transforming into the famous Hokousha Tengoku, or Pedestrian Paradise, where Tokyoites stroll freely down the center of the asphalt avenue beneath sunny umbrella tables, eating gelato and enjoying street music.

Walk two blocks west along Harumi-dori toward Sukiyabashi Crossing, pausing at the artistic greenery of Sukiyabashi Park.