Chūō-ku, as a combination of Kyōbashi and Nihonbashi, is the core ofShitamachi,[3] the original downtown center of Edo-Tokyo. Literally meaning "Central Ward", it is historically the main commercial center of Tokyo, althoughShinjuku has risen to challenge it since the end ofWorld War II.
The most famous district in Chūō isGinza, built on the site of a former silver mint from which it takes its name. The gold mint, or Kinza (金座), formerly occupied the site of the present-dayBank of Japan headquarters building, also in Chūō.
As of October 1, 2020, the ward has a residentpopulation of 169,179, and apopulation density of 16,569 persons per km2. The total area is 10.21 km2. However, because of the concentration of businesses, offices and retail space, the daytime population swells to an estimated 650,000.
Chūō is in the central area of Tokyo, surrounded by the five special wards ofChiyoda,Minato,Taitō,Sumida, andKōtō.
Administratively, Chūō is divided into the three zones of Nihonbashi, Kyōbashi and Tsukishima. Nihonbashi and Kyōbashi are predominantly commercial areas on the east side ofTokyo Station, and incorporate the famous districts ofGinza andTsukiji. Tsukishima is a separate island in Tokyo Bay dominated bycondominium towers.
UntilWorld War II, the area was crisscrossed by small rivers and canals, used by small boats which were the primary vehicles of commerce at the time. After the war, many of these waterways were filled in to make way for new roads, buildings and expressways. However, the former waterways are the basis for many of the neighborhood divisions in the ward. TheSumida River forms the eastern boundary of the ward.
Chūō is physically the second-smallest ward in Tokyo, with a total area of just 10.15 km2; only Taitō is smaller.
1612: ShōgunTokugawa Ieyasu, planning to establishEdo as the de facto capital of Japan, begins work on a new commercial district surrounding the eastern end of theTōkaidō, the main road connecting Tokyo and theKansai region. During theEdo period this area is known asEdomachi—the town center of Edo. Much of the area (particularly Ginza and Tsukiji) was loose sand piled at the delta of the Sumida River before being filled in by the shogunate.
1657: After a fire consumes much of the city, the area is re-planned with more canals to accommodate more maritime commerce.
1869: A foreigners' settlement is established in Tsukiji. It continues until about 1899.
1872: A fire consumes much of the Ginza area. In its aftermath, the governor of Tokyo re-plans Ginza to be a modern European-style commercial district between Shinbashi (the city's main railway terminal at the time) to the south and Nihonbashi (the main business and financial district) to the north.
1878: Under a new local organization statute, the wards of Nihonbashi and Kyōbashi are established under the government of Tokyo City, covering the area now occupied by Chūō.
1945: Following Japan's defeat in World War II, several buildings are taken over bySCAP to serve as supply centers for the occupation forces. These include the Hattori Watch Company, the Matsuya department store and the Toshiba Building. The buildings are returned to Japanese civilian control by 1951.
1947: Chūō Ward is founded on March 15 under the newLocal Autonomy Law, merging the former Nihonbashi and Kyōbashi wards.
Nihonbashi (日本橋): Traditional commercial center. Also home to theTakashimaya (高島屋) department stores, and the "zero milestone" from which highway distances to Tokyo are measured.
Akashicho [ja] (明石町): Home to St. Luke's Hospital and Nursing School and the adjacent Garden Tower skyscraper.
Ginza (銀座): Tokyo's most expensive shopping district, housing large stores such asMatsuya (松屋),Matsuzakaya (松坂屋),Mitsukoshi (三越),Wako (和光), andPrintemps (プランタン), as well as the famousKabuki-za (歌舞伎座) theater. At night, Ginza is ablaze with neon lights. Exclusive bars abound.
Tsukiji (築地): Location of Chūō City Office. Widely viewed as one of the bestsushi (寿司) destinations in the world because of its huge wholesale fish market, which supplies restaurants and stores across eastern Japan. Also home to theJōdo Shinshū temple ofTsukiji Hongan-ji (築地本願寺).
Yaesu (八重洲): District on the east side ofTokyo Station (東京駅). The Yaesu side of Tokyo Station is the terminal for theShinkansen (新幹線) "bullet train" lines.
Dai-ichi Kikaku Senden Co., Ltd. opened in Chūō inGinza, Chūō in December 1951. In January 1958 the company relocated to a new headquarters in Ginza. The company moved to another headquarters in Ginza in September 1961 and its name changed to Dai-ichi Kikaku Co. Ltd. In November 1974, after growth, the company moved to another headquarters in Ginza. In November 1981 Dai-ichi Kikaku moved its head office to a facility in Ginza and a facility inUchisaiwaichō,Chiyoda. The headquarters ofAsatsu moved to Ginza in July 1995. Asatsu and Dai-ichi Kikaku merged intoAsatsu-DK on January 1, 1999.[38]
AtTokyo Station, sixShinkansen, seven ordinary railway, and one subway line serve Chūō. In addition, threeToei subway lines stop at various stations throughout the ward.
Its previous building opened in 1926. TheArchitectural Institute of Japan advocated for retaining the building, but the board of education chose to raze the building and build a new one.[43]
^"Corporate DataArchived 2011-05-29 at theWayback Machine". J. Front Retailing. Retrieved on December 15, 2010. "Office : 1-1, Yaesu 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo "
^"FAQ".Takeda Pharmaceutical Company. Retrieved on February 2, 2011. "Q : Where is Takeda located? A : [...] and the Tokyo Head Office is located in Tokyo, Japan".
^"Overview". Takeda Pharmaceutical Company. Retrieved on February 2, 2011. "Tokyo Head Office 12-10, Nihonbashi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-8668"
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