The Bank of Japan Head Office Main Building is a national building that supported modern Japanese finance and is designated as a national important cultural property.

It was completed in February 1896 (Meiji 29), more than 30 years after the Meiji Restoration, during a time when Japan was being engulfed in the wave of rapid modernization and the culture of the Edo merchants was in conflict with Western civilization.

At the time, Nihonbashi area was truly the "heart of Japan." As the starting point of the Five Highways, people, goods, and information gathered there from all over the country. Gas lamps lit up the town, and Western restaurants and cafes opened one after another. Many cargo ships passed under the wooden Nihonbashi, and it was a bustling commercial district lined with merchant houses, banks, money changers, fish markets, rice wholesalers, and kimono shops.

A modern financial system was being established, and the area was developing into a financial district with financial institutions such as the First National Bank (now Mizuho Bank), Japan's oldest bank founded by Eiichi Shibusawa. The Bank of Japan Head Office Main Building, completed during this period, could be said to be a symbol of the "new Japan."

Incidentally, this area has had a long history of connections with money, and during the Edo period it was home to the "kinza," a gold mint for the shogunate, which supported the economy. The name "Ginza" comes from the fact that it was also where silver coins were minted.

The Bank of Japan Head Office Main Building was designed by architect Kingo Tatsuno, known as the father of modern Japanese architecture and responsible for the creation of many landmarks, including the Marunouchi Station building at Tokyo Station.

It was the first modern national building designed by a Japanese architect, and is a magnificent and stately stone structure in a classical style, inspired by the National Bank of Belgium, etc. Although it was hit by fire during the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the building itself remained unaffected.

Highlights of the Bank of Japan Head Office Main Building

Tour (advance reservation required)
You can tour the main building's underground vault, former business office, exhibition room, etc. with a guided tour. You can learn about the role and operations of the Bank of Japan and get a firsthand experience of modern Japanese financial history.
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Main building courtyard
The exterior of the classical building expresses order and dignity, with the colonnade on the first floor of the courtyard being in the Doric style and the twin columns running from the second to third floors of the facade, courtyard and west side being in the Corinthian style.

Inside the dome roof as seen from the exhibition room
The octagonal room under the dome roof was used for executive meetings until the early Showa period, and was also used as the president's office during the reign of the 15th president, Toyotaro Taro.

Door to the main building's underground vault
The impressive 25-ton American-made vault door was installed in 1932 when the underground vault was expanded.

The Currency Museum, located next to the Bank of Japan Head Office, opened in 1985 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Bank of Japan in 1982. At the time, on the eve of the bubble economy, Nihonbashi had undergone rapid economic growth, with skyscrapers springing up everywhere, transforming into a town where business districts and long-established stores coexisted.

Admission to the Currency Museum is free. The museum permanently exhibits approximately 3,000 items from its collection of approximately 200,000 pieces, centered around the Senpeikan Collection, which is comprised of 100,000 pieces amassed by Tanaka Hirofumi (1884-1956), a collector and researcher of antique coins.

The museum displays coins from various eras, from the Wadokaichin coins, which are said to be the first coins made in Japan, to the large and small coins of the Edo period, and the Bank of Japan notes that we use every day. It also displays a wide range of rare coins from around the world, as well as prints and literature related to coins.

You can learn about the long history of currency from ancient times to the present day and deepen your understanding of coins, paper money, and financial history.

Particularly popular is the corner where you can actually lift 100 million yen and a chest of 1000 ryo coins and feel their weight. In this way, you can gain a deeper understanding of the history and culture of money by looking at and touching it, so both adults and children can enjoy it together.

Highlights of the Numismatic Museum

Japanese monetary history
From the Wadokaichin coins to modern-day banknotes, trace the history of Japanese currency through actual items and documents. Experience Japan's history through "money," including the koban coins and Kan'ei Tsūhō coins of the Edo period, and the birth of the yen under the Meiji New Currency Ordinance.

Experience Corner
There are plenty of things to enjoy for both children and adults, such as experiencing the weight of 100 million yen worth of banknotes and learning about the coin minting process. Experience the weight and history of "money" with all your senses.

The Mitsui Main Building was completed in 1929 as the headquarters of the Mitsui zaibatsu, and is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. The Mitsui Memorial Museum, located on the seventh floor, opened in October 2005 after the Mitsui Bunko Annex, which had housed and researched the outstanding Japanese and Oriental art pieces collected and passed down through the generations of the Mitsui family, was relocated from Nakano Ward.

The Mitsui family prospered through commerce from the Edo period onwards, and at the same time had a deep love for Japanese culture, including the tea ceremony, Noh, and calligraphy and painting. The artworks passed down through each family are also a symbol of the merchant family's accumulated aesthetic sense and knowledge.

The museum houses approximately 4,000 pieces of art and crafts that the Mitsui family has collected since the Edo period. At the core of the collection is the Mitsui family's treasured collection of tea ceremony utensils. The collection includes masterpieces that convey the aesthetics of tea ceremony culture, such as the National Treasure "Shino Tea Bowl, Named Ubana Kabuki," Important Cultural Property "Black Raku Tea Bowl, Named Shunkan," and the "Chinese Style Katatsuki Tea Caddy, Kitano Katatsuki."

In addition to tea ceremony utensils, the museum also covers a wide range of genres, including swords, Noh masks, Noh costumes, paintings, old calligraphy, and crafts.It also houses a world-class stamp collection of approximately 130,000 items.

The exhibits are changed regularly, so you can discover something new every time you visit. Throughout the year, there are special exhibitions and exhibitions with a wide variety of themes.

In the Western-style exhibition space, you can enjoy the "beauty of form" - the unique beauty of each work, such as shape, color, and composition.

Highlights of the Mitsui Memorial Museum

Recreating the interior of the national treasure tea room "Joan"
There is also a display case that faithfully recreates the interior of Joan, a tea room built around 1618 by Oda Urakusai, the younger brother of Oda Nobunaga, on the grounds of Kenninji Temple in Kyoto, and later owned by the Mitsui family. Tea utensils are displayed according to the season and the exhibits, allowing visitors to appreciate the beauty of the tea utensils in the space they were meant to be in.

The architectural beauty of the Mitsui Main Building
Completed in 1929, during the early Showa period, this stately Western-style building, which cost about 10 times as much to build as a typical office building at the time, is worth seeing just for its exterior. It's also located next to Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, and its harmony of modern and contemporary architecture is also appealing.

COREDO Muromachi is a commercial facility that symbolizes the Nihonbashi Revitalization Plan, a project being promoted jointly by the public, private and local communities to bring back vitality and create new appeal to Nihonbashi area, which once thrived as the cultural and economic center of Japan.

The name "COREDO" is a combination of "CORE" and "EDO," and it conveys the meaning of a place that carries on the core of good old Edo culture into the present day.

COREDO Muromachi 1 opened in 2010, followed by COREDO Muromachi 2 and COREDO Muromachi 3 in 2014, and COREDO Muromachi Terrace in 2019.

Although each facility is independent, you can feel the underlying Japanese aesthetic and enjoy a leisurely stroll around the town. The building is home to long-established Nihonbashi stores as well as popular Shops from Japan and abroad, where tradition and innovation coexist.

The area has a particularly wide variety of dining options, ranging from casual eateries to high-end Japanese cuisine, sushi, kappo, and international cuisine, with a wide selection of prepared foods and takeout options. There's also a large event hall, a movie theater, and a bookstore, so you can fully enjoy entertainment.

Highlights of COREDO Muromachi

COREDO Muromachi 1
Based on the concept of "Nihonbashi, bringing Japan to life," the commercial zone recreates the bustle of the Edo period and is home to a variety of shops, from long-established stores steeped in the history of Nihonbashi to new and innovative new ventures from popular stores. The Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall on the 5th and 6th floors is one of the largest multipurpose halls in Nihonbashi area.

COREDO Muromachi 2
COREDO Muromachi 2 is home to Nihonbashi first cinema complex, equipped with the latest facilities. In the shopping and food area, well-established stores with over 100 years of history and popular, well-known restaurants will compete to showcase new flavors and techniques born from innovative ideas. Special "delicious foods" from all over the country will also be introduced.

COREDO Muromachi 3
COREDO Muromachi 3 offers a high-quality LIFE centered around "food and living." It showcases a carefully selected selection of fashion accessories, household goods, interior goods, and other items made in Japan and from around the world, all backed by superior technology and expertise. Take a break in between shopping at the cafe or bar.

COREDO Muromachi Terrace
COREDO Muromachi Terrace is a place where you can spend valuable time in the historic and traditional Nihonbashi. By empathizing with the stories behind the objects and experiences on display and gaining a sense of their true essence, COREDO Muromachi Terrace offers a new Nihonbashi culture where people can gather, play, relax, and enjoy themselves.

Nihonbashi, which has inherited a long history and tradition, is also a city that continues to update itself with new charms. Two noteworthy spots that will make your stroll around Nihonbashi even more enjoyable are the Murohon Area and the NIHONBASHI RIVER WALK MUSEUM.

Murohon Area

The Murohon area, located to the east of COREDO Muromachi 3 and covering Nihonbashi Muromachi 1-chome and Honmachi 1-chome, is a popular area where long-established shops and new stores coexist while retaining the atmosphere of the alleys and side streets of the Edo period.

Nihonbashi Area Map (PDF)

Nihonbashi has a deep charm, backed by a history of tradition and innovation. In recent years, under the concept of "preserving, revitalizing, and creating" by Mitsui Fudosan, the public, private, and local communities have come together to develop Nihonbashi area.

Nihonbashi | Mitsui Fudosan's Urban Development | Business Overview | Mitsui Fudosan

NIHONBASHI RIVER WALK MUSEUM

At Nihonbashi Riverwalk, where large-scale redevelopment is underway, an art project called "NIHONBASHI RIVER WALK MUSEUM" is currently underway, utilizing the temporary fencing surrounding the construction site.

Currently, as the first step, we are displaying works by young artist Nakamitsuki on the temporary fence for Nihonbashi 1-Chome Central District Type 1 Urban Redevelopment Project, and as the second step, we are displaying works by young contemporary artist Higashiyama Shiori on the temporary fence for the Yaesu 1-Chome North District Type 1 Urban Redevelopment Project.

Going forward, artworks by various artists will be displayed along Nihonbashi Riverwalk, raising expectations for the future of Nihonbashi and Yaesu, making walking around the city even more enjoyable.

NIHONBASHI RIVER WALK MUSEUM launches

NIHONBASHI RIVER WALK MUSEUM Part 2

Why not take a tour of each of these famous spots while thinking about the depth of time that this city has nurtured and its future potential?

In the first part, we introduce three places: Fukutoku Shrine, Nihonbashi, Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store. Be sure to check them out!

Part 1 is here

Thanks to you, COREDO Muromachi 1 is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. To show our gratitude for the journey we have had with our customers up until now, we have prepared a special anniversary menu and special Services.

For more details, click here. *This campaign has now ended.