It is said that there are over 300 places nationwide—such as Ebisu Ginza Street and Yanaka Ginza Shopping Street—that bear the name “Ginza” even though they are not actually in Ginza. Togoshi Ginza Shopping Street is considered the first shopping street to use the name “Ginza” and is regarded as the originator of the “○○ Ginza” trend.
The shop’s origins trace back to the local topography and the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. The area around Togoshi Ginza features many place names containing the word “zaka” (slope), such as “Shimizu-zaka” and “Miyamae-zaka,” and the shopping district was formed along a valley-like terrain at the bottom of these slopes. As a result, drainage was poor, and the area suffered from mud and flooding for a long time.
When shop owners heard that the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 had devastated Ginza’s brick-lined streets, leaving the area with a massive amount of brick rubble to dispose of, they went to Ginza with handcarts to collect the bricks.
They paved the street with those bricks to improve drainage and make it easier to walk on. “Ayakari Ginza, ” born from a connection to Ginza, is the origin of Togoshi Ginza.
The nearest stations to the Togoshi Ginza Shopping Street are Togoshi-Ginza Station on the Tokyu Ikegami Line and Togoshi Station on the Toei Asakusa Line. No matter which station you use, the shopping street spreads out right in front of you as soon as you exit the ticket gates.
Since all the stations are located in the middle of the shopping district, we recommend getting off the train and strolling around, letting your curiosity guide you. Here, we introduce popular shops you should definitely visit when exploring the Togoshi Ginza Shopping District for the first time.
The deli offers a wide variety of side dishes, including “Da Ji Pai” (a popular staple at Taiwanese night markets), the hearty “Jumbo Chicken Cutlet,” and Chicken Nanban made with authentic Kyushu-style sweet and sour sauce. Every day, the dine-in area bustles with people enjoying a drink in the evening.
A long-established restaurant with a 70-year history, serving regional Chinese cuisine for dine-in and takeout . Popular on weekdays is the great-value “Evening Drink Set,” where you can enjoy three dishes of your choice from a selection of about 30 , plus a draft beer, for ¥1,980.
Opened in 2019, this butcher shop features a stylish, eye-catching interior and specializes in full-custom cuts of A5-grade Wagyu beef. As the only wine shop in Togoshi Ginza , it offers an extensive selection of wines and regularly hosts wine tastings.
Located at the end of the shopping street, this café is marked by its red roof and an arrow sign, with stuffed polar bears, figurines, and picture books lining the space. While it offers a standard selection of sweets like crepes and cakes, the must-try item is the long soft-serve ice cream, which looks about twice as long as a regular serving. Be sure to try it at the end of your food tour.
A rice ball specialty shop with a constant line of customers. The rice is carefully selected from the year’s finest varieties. This year, they are using Tsuyahime rice from Yamagata , known for its chewy texture and natural sweetness. The most popular item is the “Egg Yolk + Soboro,” which features a luxurious combination of egg yolk marinated in soy sauce for four hours and sweet-and-salty ground meat. Takeout is also available.
