Japan with Cleo #2/10 - Ginza, Watches & Whisky
Japan's first wristwatch(This post is Part 2 of 10 on Japan with Cleo, 28 April - 14 May 2017.)
So, for this BFF trip to Japan, Cleo accompanied us on a time in our itinerary, specially devoted to Seiko watches - a special time I dubbed Seiko Day. As part of Seiko Day, we visited the Seiko Museum in the Sumida Ward, close to our base in Asakusa (see Part 1). We also spent quite some time in Ginza, at the Seiko Premium Boutique and the Wako Seiko salon. Plus Hubby wanted to get his hands on some aged Japanese whisky.
Both Hubby and DT are passionate about Grand Seiko watches, so our BFF Japan vacation would not be complete without a visit (as a trio) to the Seiko Museum in the Sumida ward. (Update: The museum relocated in 2020 to Ginza, a short walk from Wako.)
This trip to the Seiko Museum was not the first time for Hubby and me, but it was for DT. Anyway, it's always a nice quiet place to spend a couple of hours, especially for those interested in horology or the history of timepieces.
The Seiko Museum (セイコーミュージアム) began in 1981, and was then called the Seiko Institute of Horology. But Seiko - that is, Seikosha (精工舎) - was established in 1881 by founder Mr Kintaro Hattori, under the name K. Hattori & Co., Ltd. At the time, Hattori was only 21 years old, and Japan was in the midst of a recession. In 1892, the Seiko factory was founded. Hattori and Tsuruhiko Yoshikawa (an engineer) began to produce wall clocks (called Seiko's Bonbon clocks). Hattori renamed the company Seikosha - "Seiko" to denote precision and fine craft.
At a corner of the 2nd storey is a special glass room, where a selection of wadokei (和時計) and various Edo period paraphenalia are displayed. European mechanical clocks and their technologies were introduced to Japan around the end of the Muromachi era (circa 1336-1573). Amongst the paraphenalia is the Karakuri-zui, a 1796 series of mechanical engineering books written by Japanese inventor Yorinao Hosokawa Hanzo.
Wadokei (和時計) are traditional Japanese clocks that were produced during the Edo era in accordance to the seasonal time system, which was in use in Japan at the time. However, they eventually fell into disuse, as the seasonal time system was replaced after 1873, during the Meiji era, when Japan officially adopted the Gregorian calendar.
Among the museum's many exhibits, I'm generally more interested in looking at Seiko's firsts. The museum also exhibits Seiko's first 8-day wall clock, which was made in 1892, 2 months after the establishment of the Seikosha.
One of my favourite exhibits is a lump of burnt pocket watches, that had been melted together during the fires in the aftermath of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake.
These were among the roughly 1,500 watches and clocks that were at the factory for repairs, and were destroyed by the earthquake.
The exhibit embodies the founder's principle of keeping his promises in spite of whatever difficulties suffered: (どんなに困難な時でも）必ず約束を守る。
At the time, Seiko offered the customers new equivalents to replace the destroyed timepieces, regardless of whether the customers had produced receipts.
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| Cleo at Ginza (on IG) |
So, for this BFF trip to Japan, Cleo accompanied us on a time in our itinerary, specially devoted to Seiko watches - a special time I dubbed Seiko Day. As part of Seiko Day, we visited the Seiko Museum in the Sumida Ward, close to our base in Asakusa (see Part 1). We also spent quite some time in Ginza, at the Seiko Premium Boutique and the Wako Seiko salon. Plus Hubby wanted to get his hands on some aged Japanese whisky.
SEIKO MUSEUM
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| Cleo at the Seiko Museum (on IG) |
Both Hubby and DT are passionate about Grand Seiko watches, so our BFF Japan vacation would not be complete without a visit (as a trio) to the Seiko Museum in the Sumida ward. (Update: The museum relocated in 2020 to Ginza, a short walk from Wako.)
This trip to the Seiko Museum was not the first time for Hubby and me, but it was for DT. Anyway, it's always a nice quiet place to spend a couple of hours, especially for those interested in horology or the history of timepieces.
 |
| The Seiko Museum, Tokyo |
The Seiko Museum (セイコーミュージアム) began in 1981, and was then called the Seiko Institute of Horology. But Seiko - that is, Seikosha (精工舎) - was established in 1881 by founder Mr Kintaro Hattori, under the name K. Hattori & Co., Ltd. At the time, Hattori was only 21 years old, and Japan was in the midst of a recession. In 1892, the Seiko factory was founded. Hattori and Tsuruhiko Yoshikawa (an engineer) began to produce wall clocks (called Seiko's Bonbon clocks). Hattori renamed the company Seikosha - "Seiko" to denote precision and fine craft.
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| The Karakuri-zui (1796). The Seiko Museum, Tokyo. |
At a corner of the 2nd storey is a special glass room, where a selection of wadokei (和時計) and various Edo period paraphenalia are displayed. European mechanical clocks and their technologies were introduced to Japan around the end of the Muromachi era (circa 1336-1573). Amongst the paraphenalia is the Karakuri-zui, a 1796 series of mechanical engineering books written by Japanese inventor Yorinao Hosokawa Hanzo.
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| Wadokei, Edo period timepieces. The Seiko Museum, Tokyo. |
Wadokei (和時計) are traditional Japanese clocks that were produced during the Edo era in accordance to the seasonal time system, which was in use in Japan at the time. However, they eventually fell into disuse, as the seasonal time system was replaced after 1873, during the Meiji era, when Japan officially adopted the Gregorian calendar.
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| Seiko's first 8-day clock. | The Laurel, Japan's first wristwatch |
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| Watches destroyed during the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake |
One of my favourite exhibits is a lump of burnt pocket watches, that had been melted together during the fires in the aftermath of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake.
These were among the roughly 1,500 watches and clocks that were at the factory for repairs, and were destroyed by the earthquake.
The exhibit embodies the founder's principle of keeping his promises in spite of whatever difficulties suffered: (どんなに困難な時でも）必ず約束を守る。
 |
| The Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 GMT |
Other than Seiko's many firsts, Seiko's milestones in watch technology are also proudly displayed. In particular, the Laurel (1913), the first Grand Seiko model (1960) and Quartz Astron (1969).
In 2014, these 3 were officially designated as national Mechanical Engineering Heritages. The Laurel was Japan's first wristwatch.
In the same year (2014), the Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 GMT Limited Edition (SBGJ005) won the "Petite Aiguille" prize at the 2014 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. Proving that a non-European made timepiece could be on par with to an European-made one.
Somewhere along the way was the SBGW044 (2013), a faithful remake of the classic 44GS (1967), to mark the 100th year of Seiko watch-making (that is, the year 2013). The 44GS was modelled on the first Grand Seiko, and is seen as the embodiment of the Grand Seiko design philosophy (the "Grand Seiko Style") of precision, beauty, legibility and ease of use.
Of course with innovation as a central tenet to Seiko watch-making, they must have a watch that reflects our modern, Internet age. That would be the Astron GPS Solar (2012). And as if creating the world's first GPS solar watch wasn't enough, Seiko made a new and improved version, the Astron 8X (above left). Above right is the SSE001, the limited edition Seiko Astron 8X82 GPS Solar caliber chronograph that was presented at Baselworld 2014.
Ginza (銀座) doesn't need much introduction. Every travel guide (offline or online) mentions that it's Tokyo's luxury shopping and dining district.
Like Asakusa (see Part 1), Ginza's history also goes back to the Edo period. Back then, Ginza was the location of a silver coin mint - hence "Ginza" (銀 gin = silver; 座 za = place, trade guild). But Ginza is a stark contrast to Asakusa. While the latter still contains pockets of Old Tokyo that date back to the Edo era, most of Ginza is modern.
At Ginza's heart is the iconic Wako building, so named because it houses the department store Wako (和光).
Wako shares its history with Seiko, as it was founded by Kintaro Hattori, Seiko's founder.
The Wako building and clock tower were originally built by Hattori. It was demolished in 1921 to make way for a new one.
The new building was completed in 1932, designed in an Art Deco influenced Neoclassical architectural style.
Anyway, the ground floor of Ginza Wako is the Seiko Watch Salon. (Wako was formed when Seiko's retail division split off in 1947.)
Every Tokyo trip, Hubby drags me to the store, without fail. Didn't spend as much time at the Wako store this trip because Hubby and DT were more interested in looking at the timepieces at the Seiko Premium Boutique, just down the road from Wako.
So, the Seiko Premium Boutique carries some of the Grand Seiko and Credor timepieces that are not available at the Wako store. Like the Eichi II, Sonnerie, and the Minute Repeater (all Credor).
Some time in March, Hubby had written to the boutique manager to ask about the Eichi II - our favourite Seiko timepiece which I've already waxed lyrical in our Easter Bangkok trip (posted here). A couple of weeks before our trip, he wrote again to ask about the Grand Seiko Snowflake (another Grand Seiko classic).
I confess I am in love with the Grand Seiko Snowflake. Perhaps even more so than Hubby is. The clean, simple lines set off the beauty of the dial perfectly. And yes, the dial looks just like fresh snow.
The backstory is that the dial was designed to resemble the wind-sculpted, light and airy snowfall of Shiojiri, where the Grand Seiko watch studio is located. The reference to Shiojiri's light snowfall is reinforced by the Snowflake's lightness (all titanium case) and the overall cold colour scheme (grey with blue accents).
After staying a very long time at the Premium Boutique, we dropped by Lemon-sha (レモン社), one of the best spots in Ginza for secondhand/vintage watches and secondhand cameras and lenses.
Lemon-sha is on the 8th floor of the Ginza Kyokai building, which also houses a church. They carry high-end cameras such as Leica, Hasselblad, Rollei and Minox. But they do carry Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Sony, etc. They also carry model trains and fountain pens - also mostly secondhand and on consignment.
Quite unexpectedly, we found a brand new Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 12mm f/1.4 lens for a better price than at Yodobashi or Bic Camera. I'd seen the lense at the latter 2 stores but couldn't decide on buying it. In the end, I bought it. It's pretty heavy (metal housing, multiple glass lens), but I love the quality, the sharpness and the soft bokeh effect. Don't regret this buy one bit.
While in Ginza, we also went up to the Ginza Terrace, the rooftop garden on the 9th floor of Ginza Mitsukoshi. It was a lovely, open-air terrace with some outdoor tables and a little garden. But our main purpose of popping by was actually to visit a little secret... namely a very small, rooftop shrine called the Ginza Mimeguri Shrine (銀座三囲神社).
Generally, the Mimeguri Shrine (三囲神社) is closely associated with the Mitsui family, the founders of the Mitsui Group. So, it is not surprising to find a small one at the 9th floor of the Mitsukoshi department store building, since Mitsukoshi represents the roots of the Mitsui Group, which first began as a gofuku-ya called Echigoya in Nihonbashi. The Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi is still the flagship store.
The rooftop Ginza Mimeguri Shrine is a sessha (摂社) of the main Mimeguri Shrine in Mukojima, near Mukojima Kototoi Bridge.
Folklore says that the main Mimeguri Shrine was founded in the early 9th century and reconstructed in the 14th century.
Its name, "Mimeguri", means to circle 3 times (三 mi = 3; 囲 = to encircle). Apparently it was so-named because during its reconstruction ceremony in 840, a white fox circled the shrine 3 times.
Next to the Mimeguri Shrine is the Ginza Shusse Jizo-zon (銀座出世地蔵尊), a Jizo stone statue that was found in the area during the early Meiji era.
In the early Meiji era, the Jizo statue was found at the Sanjikken Horikawa (三十間堀川), an artificial river that flowed through Ginza since the Edo period. The Jizo was placed in an open space and was said to have been worshipped by the people who lived in the Ginza area.
Later in 1968, it was moved to its current location, when Mitsukoshi was renovated.
In Japanese culture, Jizo (地蔵), or Ksitigarbha, is one of the most loved and revered bodhisattvas, traditionally seen as the protector of travellers, women and children. Among his many purposes, Jizo is best known as the protector of children, especially unborn children or children who have died before their parents.
In Japanese mythology, as such children have not had the chance to accumulate enough good deeds, their souls are in limbo, being unable to cross the Sanzu River to the afterlife, and condemned to continually pile towers of stones as penance. Jizo saves them by hiding them in his robe from demons and chanting mantras to them.
Interestingly, the Ginza Shusse Jizo supposedly symbolises luck, success in life, long life and prosperity in business. Which is why Hubby really wanted to visit....
In Ginza is also the 120-plus year old Kabukiza (歌舞伎座), Japan's oldest and premier theatre. It is also the main theatre for kabuki in Tokyo. We've been in Ginza so many times in the past few years, but it was only this trip that I dropped by for a look.
The Kabukiza today is its 5th incarnation and was completed in 2013. The original Kabukiza was opened in the Meiji era, at around 1889, by journalist Fukuchi Gen'ichiro, who wrote kabuki dramas. It was then renovated in 1911. In 1921, an electrical fire destroyed the building. Reconstruction began in 1922, but was not completed as it was destroyed during the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. (Yeah, this earthquake pops up a lot when I look up Tokyo's history.) The reconstruction of its 3rd incarnation was completed in 1924. Its architectural design drew from the Azuchi-Momoyama style, evoking the architecture of traditional Japanese castles and Edo era temples. The 3rd incarnation embodied Kabukiza's golden age.
Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the Tokyo air raids in WWII. Following the end of WWII and Japan's recovery, Kabukiza was restored in 1951, in its 1924 style. This 1951 structure was then demolished in 2010, and rebuilt to ensure it ability to survive earthquakes and to improve accessibility.
The current Kabukiza building incorporates features of the 1951 structure, with the Azuchi-Momoyama architectural style of the 1924 structure. Even the modern office block rising from behind the theatre is relatively unobtrusive.
Anyway, here's a Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu otaku comment. The Kabukiza is the location where Yotaro falls asleep during Yakumo's performance (episode 1), and where Yakumo collapses after seeing a vision of Miyokichi while performing (episode 18). (Post on this will be made elsewhere.)
While wandering around Ginza's back streets, we stumbled across another liquor store with a decent stock of aged Japanese whiskey. During our trip last autumn, we went to Liquors Hasegawa and Liquor Mountain, and even then we couldn't find much, mostly 12-years and a 15-year Hibiki. This store had a great selection of aged Japanese whiskey, so we made our selection here and didn't have to pop by Liquors Hasegawa and Liquor Mountain at all this trip. A major bonus was the store also had Juyondai. A fantastic selection too, with some from the premium range. They also stocked the Shichitare Nijikkan junmai daiginjo that we had at Sushi Nakamura last year. Heavens, I wonder what kind of connections they have.... Needless to say, the 3 of us unanimously agreed to get a bottle to enjoy during our ryokan stay Fujigoko!
The day we spent appreciating GS watches around Ginza, we popped into the Ginza honten of Fugetsudo (風月堂), a confectionery that was established in 1753 (Edo period), under the name "Osakaya" (大坂屋). Fugetsudo is best known for its delicate butter cream wafers, called Gaufres.
To be honest, the old-fashioned interior, cramped tables and small seats don't inspire much confidence. And made DT and I wonder how it attracted so many obviously well-heeled clientele (most of whom are middle-aged). Not only were we the only non-Japanese tourists in the entire cafe, we were also the youngest ones. The menu was elegant, but sparse, and all in Japanese only — as usual, the names of the French desserts were all in katakana. But I did manage to decipher most of it....
Despite our initial scepticism (due to the old-fashioned, no-frills look of the place), the sweets were delicious. Hubby selected the chocolate parfait, which came with green tea. DT and I went for the savarin set, which came with black coffee. So, the savarin is a liqueur syrup soaked yeast cake and filled with creme chantilly. It was based on the rum baba and was created by French pastry chefs the Julien Brothers. The savarin we had at Fugetsudo was delicious — spongy, soft and moist, just the right balance of alcohol and sweet syrup.
So, sometime during the trip, we dragged DT to our all-time favourite ramen spot, Ginza Kagari (銀座 篝). Since our first time there (posted here), we'd make a point of eating there at least once every time we're in Tokyo.
The poached chicken breast is always tender and moist. This trip, the toppings were young bamboo shoots, asparagus and burdock root. Heaven in a bowl.
Anyway, in the time between our first time there and now, Kagari has become hugely popular both locally and abroad. So, I'm happy that it's deliciousness scored a Michelin Bib Gourmand recommendation, but at the same time...it's kind of...annoying.... Like a closely-treasured secret is not secret anymore...and yet it makes one happy that it's receiving the love and attention it deserves.... So, Bloomberg thinks it's one of Tokyo's best ramens. Well, I think it's been one of the best since it opened.
At one point, we also tried having dinner at Lion Beer Hall at Ginza 7-chome, which we first visited in 2014 (posted here). Lion Beer Hall dates back to 1934 and is the oldest beer hall. It's an atmospheric place, apparently resembling a Bavarian beer hall with its high ceilings, paintings, and large mosaic.
There was a long queue, and we weren't really keen to wait, so we went to the Brasserie Lion, a branch of the Lion Beer Hall. Unlike the Lion Beer Hall however, Brasserie Lion also has classic Japanese dishes on the menu. For some reason, I was craving hamburger steak.... So hamburger steak it is...a soft and moist patty covered in demi-glace sauce. We ordered a whole bunch of other dishes too, and the boys enjoyed a chilled beer.
On another night, we had yakiniku at the Ginza 6-chome branch of Heijouen (平城苑), another place that Hubby and I occasionally revisit when in Tokyo.
It was another one of those days when DT and I were way past our 12,000 steps per day limit. We collapsed into the seats and had to stay still for a few minutes to recover.
That day, after dinner at Heijouen, our feet recovered sufficiently enough for us to make the short walk to the Ginza branch of Breizh Cafe Creperie (ブレッツ カフェ クレープリー),also at Ginza 6-chome.
Breizh Cafe Creperie in Ginza is one of the several Breizh creperies run by the Le Bretagne Group. The decor of the place resembles a Parisian street cafe. The menu has quite an extensive selection of crepe and galette.
True to their natures, DT and Hubby selected their favourite flavour combinations. DT (who loves salted caramel) selected the Carrement Caramel, a crepe with salted butter caramel ice cream, whipped cream, and swirls of salted caramel sauce. As for banana-chocolate loving Hubby, he had the crepe topped with caramelised banana and melted Valrhona chocolate.
As for myself (also true to form), I was torn between the Dame rhubarbe (crepe with rhubarb compote, raspberry puree, vanilla ice cream and crumble) and the stewed apple galette. Picked the latter in the end, the galette (buckwheat crepe) filled with home-made stewed apples, a cope of vanilla ice cream, and dusted with cinnamon. Mmmm...yum!
In 2014, these 3 were officially designated as national Mechanical Engineering Heritages. The Laurel was Japan's first wristwatch.
In the same year (2014), the Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 GMT Limited Edition (SBGJ005) won the "Petite Aiguille" prize at the 2014 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. Proving that a non-European made timepiece could be on par with to an European-made one.
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| Grand Seiko SBGW044 - 44GS limited edition replica, 18K yellow gold, 2013 |
Somewhere along the way was the SBGW044 (2013), a faithful remake of the classic 44GS (1967), to mark the 100th year of Seiko watch-making (that is, the year 2013). The 44GS was modelled on the first Grand Seiko, and is seen as the embodiment of the Grand Seiko design philosophy (the "Grand Seiko Style") of precision, beauty, legibility and ease of use.
Of course with innovation as a central tenet to Seiko watch-making, they must have a watch that reflects our modern, Internet age. That would be the Astron GPS Solar (2012). And as if creating the world's first GPS solar watch wasn't enough, Seiko made a new and improved version, the Astron 8X (above left). Above right is the SSE001, the limited edition Seiko Astron 8X82 GPS Solar caliber chronograph that was presented at Baselworld 2014.
GINZA
As part of our Seiko Day, we had to go to Ginza, where Seiko's founder first set up shop. Well, also because the main Grand Seiko/Credor stores are there. |
| Ginza, Tokyo |
Ginza (銀座) doesn't need much introduction. Every travel guide (offline or online) mentions that it's Tokyo's luxury shopping and dining district.
Like Asakusa (see Part 1), Ginza's history also goes back to the Edo period. Back then, Ginza was the location of a silver coin mint - hence "Ginza" (銀 gin = silver; 座 za = place, trade guild). But Ginza is a stark contrast to Asakusa. While the latter still contains pockets of Old Tokyo that date back to the Edo era, most of Ginza is modern.
WAKO, SEIKO WATCH SALON & SEIKO PREMIUM BOUTIQUE
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| Wako and the Hattori Clock Tower, Ginza |
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| A stairway window, Ginza Wako |
Wako shares its history with Seiko, as it was founded by Kintaro Hattori, Seiko's founder.
The Wako building and clock tower were originally built by Hattori. It was demolished in 1921 to make way for a new one.
The new building was completed in 1932, designed in an Art Deco influenced Neoclassical architectural style.
Anyway, the ground floor of Ginza Wako is the Seiko Watch Salon. (Wako was formed when Seiko's retail division split off in 1947.)
Every Tokyo trip, Hubby drags me to the store, without fail. Didn't spend as much time at the Wako store this trip because Hubby and DT were more interested in looking at the timepieces at the Seiko Premium Boutique, just down the road from Wako.
So, the Seiko Premium Boutique carries some of the Grand Seiko and Credor timepieces that are not available at the Wako store. Like the Eichi II, Sonnerie, and the Minute Repeater (all Credor).
Some time in March, Hubby had written to the boutique manager to ask about the Eichi II - our favourite Seiko timepiece which I've already waxed lyrical in our Easter Bangkok trip (posted here). A couple of weeks before our trip, he wrote again to ask about the Grand Seiko Snowflake (another Grand Seiko classic).
 |
| SBGA011, the Grand Seiko Snowflake |
I confess I am in love with the Grand Seiko Snowflake. Perhaps even more so than Hubby is. The clean, simple lines set off the beauty of the dial perfectly. And yes, the dial looks just like fresh snow.
The backstory is that the dial was designed to resemble the wind-sculpted, light and airy snowfall of Shiojiri, where the Grand Seiko watch studio is located. The reference to Shiojiri's light snowfall is reinforced by the Snowflake's lightness (all titanium case) and the overall cold colour scheme (grey with blue accents).
LEMON-SHA
After staying a very long time at the Premium Boutique, we dropped by Lemon-sha (レモン社), one of the best spots in Ginza for secondhand/vintage watches and secondhand cameras and lenses.
Lemon-sha is on the 8th floor of the Ginza Kyokai building, which also houses a church. They carry high-end cameras such as Leica, Hasselblad, Rollei and Minox. But they do carry Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Sony, etc. They also carry model trains and fountain pens - also mostly secondhand and on consignment.
Quite unexpectedly, we found a brand new Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 12mm f/1.4 lens for a better price than at Yodobashi or Bic Camera. I'd seen the lense at the latter 2 stores but couldn't decide on buying it. In the end, I bought it. It's pretty heavy (metal housing, multiple glass lens), but I love the quality, the sharpness and the soft bokeh effect. Don't regret this buy one bit.
GINZA MITSUKOSHI ROOFTOP GARDEN: THE MIMEGURI SHRINE & SHUSSE JIZO
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| Ginza Terrace |
While in Ginza, we also went up to the Ginza Terrace, the rooftop garden on the 9th floor of Ginza Mitsukoshi. It was a lovely, open-air terrace with some outdoor tables and a little garden. But our main purpose of popping by was actually to visit a little secret... namely a very small, rooftop shrine called the Ginza Mimeguri Shrine (銀座三囲神社).
 |
| Ginza Mimeguri Shrine, Ginza Mitsukoshi |
Generally, the Mimeguri Shrine (三囲神社) is closely associated with the Mitsui family, the founders of the Mitsui Group. So, it is not surprising to find a small one at the 9th floor of the Mitsukoshi department store building, since Mitsukoshi represents the roots of the Mitsui Group, which first began as a gofuku-ya called Echigoya in Nihonbashi. The Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi is still the flagship store.The rooftop Ginza Mimeguri Shrine is a sessha (摂社) of the main Mimeguri Shrine in Mukojima, near Mukojima Kototoi Bridge.
Folklore says that the main Mimeguri Shrine was founded in the early 9th century and reconstructed in the 14th century.
Its name, "Mimeguri", means to circle 3 times (三 mi = 3; 囲 = to encircle). Apparently it was so-named because during its reconstruction ceremony in 840, a white fox circled the shrine 3 times.
Next to the Mimeguri Shrine is the Ginza Shusse Jizo-zon (銀座出世地蔵尊), a Jizo stone statue that was found in the area during the early Meiji era.In the early Meiji era, the Jizo statue was found at the Sanjikken Horikawa (三十間堀川), an artificial river that flowed through Ginza since the Edo period. The Jizo was placed in an open space and was said to have been worshipped by the people who lived in the Ginza area.
Later in 1968, it was moved to its current location, when Mitsukoshi was renovated.
In Japanese culture, Jizo (地蔵), or Ksitigarbha, is one of the most loved and revered bodhisattvas, traditionally seen as the protector of travellers, women and children. Among his many purposes, Jizo is best known as the protector of children, especially unborn children or children who have died before their parents.
In Japanese mythology, as such children have not had the chance to accumulate enough good deeds, their souls are in limbo, being unable to cross the Sanzu River to the afterlife, and condemned to continually pile towers of stones as penance. Jizo saves them by hiding them in his robe from demons and chanting mantras to them.
 |
| More little jizo statues at the Ginza Mimeguri Shrine |
Interestingly, the Ginza Shusse Jizo supposedly symbolises luck, success in life, long life and prosperity in business. Which is why Hubby really wanted to visit....
KABUKI-ZA
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| The Kabukiza, Ginza |
In Ginza is also the 120-plus year old Kabukiza (歌舞伎座), Japan's oldest and premier theatre. It is also the main theatre for kabuki in Tokyo. We've been in Ginza so many times in the past few years, but it was only this trip that I dropped by for a look.
The Kabukiza today is its 5th incarnation and was completed in 2013. The original Kabukiza was opened in the Meiji era, at around 1889, by journalist Fukuchi Gen'ichiro, who wrote kabuki dramas. It was then renovated in 1911. In 1921, an electrical fire destroyed the building. Reconstruction began in 1922, but was not completed as it was destroyed during the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. (Yeah, this earthquake pops up a lot when I look up Tokyo's history.) The reconstruction of its 3rd incarnation was completed in 1924. Its architectural design drew from the Azuchi-Momoyama style, evoking the architecture of traditional Japanese castles and Edo era temples. The 3rd incarnation embodied Kabukiza's golden age.
Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the Tokyo air raids in WWII. Following the end of WWII and Japan's recovery, Kabukiza was restored in 1951, in its 1924 style. This 1951 structure was then demolished in 2010, and rebuilt to ensure it ability to survive earthquakes and to improve accessibility.
 |
| Kabukiza, Ginza |
The current Kabukiza building incorporates features of the 1951 structure, with the Azuchi-Momoyama architectural style of the 1924 structure. Even the modern office block rising from behind the theatre is relatively unobtrusive.
Anyway, here's a Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu otaku comment. The Kabukiza is the location where Yotaro falls asleep during Yakumo's performance (episode 1), and where Yakumo collapses after seeing a vision of Miyokichi while performing (episode 18). (Post on this will be made elsewhere.)
JAPANESE WHISKY
While wandering around Ginza's back streets, we stumbled across another liquor store with a decent stock of aged Japanese whiskey. During our trip last autumn, we went to Liquors Hasegawa and Liquor Mountain, and even then we couldn't find much, mostly 12-years and a 15-year Hibiki. This store had a great selection of aged Japanese whiskey, so we made our selection here and didn't have to pop by Liquors Hasegawa and Liquor Mountain at all this trip. A major bonus was the store also had Juyondai. A fantastic selection too, with some from the premium range. They also stocked the Shichitare Nijikkan junmai daiginjo that we had at Sushi Nakamura last year. Heavens, I wonder what kind of connections they have.... Needless to say, the 3 of us unanimously agreed to get a bottle to enjoy during our ryokan stay Fujigoko!
FOOD
Ginza is also home to many good food places. And I'm not just talking about Edomae sushi-ya. |
| Savarin tea set, Ginza Fugetsudo |
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| Chocolate parfait, Ginza Fugetsudo |
To be honest, the old-fashioned interior, cramped tables and small seats don't inspire much confidence. And made DT and I wonder how it attracted so many obviously well-heeled clientele (most of whom are middle-aged). Not only were we the only non-Japanese tourists in the entire cafe, we were also the youngest ones. The menu was elegant, but sparse, and all in Japanese only — as usual, the names of the French desserts were all in katakana. But I did manage to decipher most of it....
Despite our initial scepticism (due to the old-fashioned, no-frills look of the place), the sweets were delicious. Hubby selected the chocolate parfait, which came with green tea. DT and I went for the savarin set, which came with black coffee. So, the savarin is a liqueur syrup soaked yeast cake and filled with creme chantilly. It was based on the rum baba and was created by French pastry chefs the Julien Brothers. The savarin we had at Fugetsudo was delicious — spongy, soft and moist, just the right balance of alcohol and sweet syrup.
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| Tori paitan soba, Ginza Kagari. (Spring 2017) |
The poached chicken breast is always tender and moist. This trip, the toppings were young bamboo shoots, asparagus and burdock root. Heaven in a bowl.
Anyway, in the time between our first time there and now, Kagari has become hugely popular both locally and abroad. So, I'm happy that it's deliciousness scored a Michelin Bib Gourmand recommendation, but at the same time...it's kind of...annoying.... Like a closely-treasured secret is not secret anymore...and yet it makes one happy that it's receiving the love and attention it deserves.... So, Bloomberg thinks it's one of Tokyo's best ramens. Well, I think it's been one of the best since it opened.
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| Hamburger Steak, Brasserie Lion, Ginza |
There was a long queue, and we weren't really keen to wait, so we went to the Brasserie Lion, a branch of the Lion Beer Hall. Unlike the Lion Beer Hall however, Brasserie Lion also has classic Japanese dishes on the menu. For some reason, I was craving hamburger steak.... So hamburger steak it is...a soft and moist patty covered in demi-glace sauce. We ordered a whole bunch of other dishes too, and the boys enjoyed a chilled beer.
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| Yakiniku at Heijouen, Ginza |
It was another one of those days when DT and I were way past our 12,000 steps per day limit. We collapsed into the seats and had to stay still for a few minutes to recover.
That day, after dinner at Heijouen, our feet recovered sufficiently enough for us to make the short walk to the Ginza branch of Breizh Cafe Creperie (ブレッツ カフェ クレープリー),also at Ginza 6-chome.
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| Breizh Cafe Creperie, Ginza |
Breizh Cafe Creperie in Ginza is one of the several Breizh creperies run by the Le Bretagne Group. The decor of the place resembles a Parisian street cafe. The menu has quite an extensive selection of crepe and galette.
True to their natures, DT and Hubby selected their favourite flavour combinations. DT (who loves salted caramel) selected the Carrement Caramel, a crepe with salted butter caramel ice cream, whipped cream, and swirls of salted caramel sauce. As for banana-chocolate loving Hubby, he had the crepe topped with caramelised banana and melted Valrhona chocolate.
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| Dame Rhubarbe, Breizh Cafe Creperie |
As for myself (also true to form), I was torn between the Dame rhubarbe (crepe with rhubarb compote, raspberry puree, vanilla ice cream and crumble) and the stewed apple galette. Picked the latter in the end, the galette (buckwheat crepe) filled with home-made stewed apples, a cope of vanilla ice cream, and dusted with cinnamon. Mmmm...yum!
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Japan with Cleo (28 April - 14 May 2017)
- I. Tokyo - Asakusa • Seiko Museum • Ginza • Akihabara & Nakano • Tsukiji Market • Enoshima • Shinkawa, Tsukuda & Tsukishima • Sushi Nakamura • La Paix • Nishiazabu Taku • Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu • 3-gatsu no Lion
- II. Aomori & Hirosaki - Auga Market • Aomori Gyosai Centre • Hirosaki Castle Park • Hirosaki Sakura Matsuri 2017 • Flying Witch
- III. Hakodate - Hakodate Asaichi • Goryokaku Park
- IV. Fuji Five Lakes - Lake Motosu • Subaru 5th Station & Shibazakura • Chureito & Kawaguchiko
- V. Osaka - Kuromon Market • Dotonbori • Harukas 300 • Food Basement Galore!
- VI. Kobe - nackymade • Steak Land Kobe
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Japan with Cleo (28 April - 14 May 2017)
- I. Tokyo - Asakusa • Seiko Museum • Ginza • Akihabara & Nakano • Tsukiji Market • Enoshima • Shinkawa, Tsukuda & Tsukishima • Sushi Nakamura • La Paix • Nishiazabu Taku • Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu • 3-gatsu no Lion
- II. Aomori & Hirosaki - Auga Market • Aomori Gyosai Centre • Hirosaki Castle Park • Hirosaki Sakura Matsuri 2017 • Flying Witch
- III. Hakodate - Hakodate Asaichi • Goryokaku Park
- IV. Fuji Five Lakes - Lake Motosu • Subaru 5th Station & Shibazakura • Chureito & Kawaguchiko
- V. Osaka - Kuromon Market • Dotonbori • Harukas 300 • Food Basement Galore!
- VI. Kobe - nackymade • Steak Land Kobe
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