Today's Ginza is one of the premier shopping destination and high-end
dining and shopping location in Tokyo. It is located nearby an islet,
and it is thought that Ginza was originally marshes land that was
reclaimed including the surrounding Hibiya and the site of former
Tsukiji market. Ginza, Shimbashi, and Kanda area are the heart of downtown old Tokyo.
According to this article, Ginza name originated from gin 銀 or 'silver' and ja/za 座 or 'seat' as it was the site of silver mint that exclusively designated by Tokugawa shogunate in Edo (old name of Tokyo. Ginza was the centre of the artisans, merchants, as well as theater actors of Kabuki and Noh players who provided entertainment. It sits on Tokaido which is the old Kyoto to Edo highway linking the two top towns of Japan in olden times.
Later on, Ginza was redeveloped after big fire with bricks to be fireproof and thus developed a number of unique Japanese-Western style buildings and became known to be bricktown or Rengagai. One of remaining building from that era is Wako building with clock on top that was made by clockmaker who founded Seiko.
