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38-586: Despite its relatively low membership, it is widely viewed as a wealthy and successful gang, controlling Tokyo's fashionable Ginza district. Its oyabun , or godfather, was Kazuyoshi Kudo until his suicide in February 2007. The gang had long been a member of the Kantō Hatsukakai , a federation of Tokyo yakuza groups opposed to the powerful, Kansai -based Yamaguchi-gumi . This changed in August 2005, when in

76-700: A new government was officially established. In 1868, Tokugawa forces and the new Meiji government's forces, composed of the Satsuma and Chōshū clans, fought in the Boshin War . The Meiji forces defeated the Tokugawa forces, and the new government took power in Japan. The government moved the capital from Kyoto to Tokyo and began to build a centralized state around the Emperor. The Meiji government abolished

114-592: A sake -sharing ritual, was concrete evidence of the Yamaguchi's expansion. This article related to crime in Japan is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This crime -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Ginza Ginza ( / ˈ ɡ ɪ n z ə / GHIN -zə ; Japanese : 銀座 [ɡindza] ) is a district of Chūō , Tokyo , located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi , west of Tsukiji , east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō , and north of Shinbashi . It

152-488: A curious perspective by foreigners who visited Japan. In order for the new Japan to not be misunderstood, the Meiji government called Japan's indigenous customs and beliefs "bad" and "old" and took policies to "enlighten" the "lost mongrel" people. Local governments took the initiative to eliminate folk customs, and many of these customs were reduced or discontinued due to the effects of bunmei-kaika . For example, along with

190-427: A famous photo spot, some cats sleep on signs, where people can put their own cats onto these signs. The location where cats are is different depending on the date. Other stations near Ginza: Ginza Station, Yurakucho Station, Hibiya Station are connected underground. Public elementary and junior high schools are operated by Chuo City Board of Education. Zoned elementary schools include the following: All of Ginza

228-512: A head with hair cropped short ( 散切り , zangiri ), you will hear the sound of civilization." This saying shows that Western hairstyles were a symbol of civilization. The new Meiji government promoted a series of policies encouraging new industries, increasing wealth and military power , and following Europe, which included the introduction of Western architecture ( Giyōfū architecture ), haircutting, Western clothing, and Western food . However, it has also been pointed out that this Westernization

266-496: A heavy burden, and anti-policy riots called ikki ( 一揆 ) occurred. Westernization changed the way people thought. In Japan, where society was strongly divided, bunmei-kaika led to the abolition of the class system and the spread of the idea that all people were equal. People called eta ( 穢多 , 'abundance of defilement' or 'abundance of filth') and hinin ( 非人 ) , who were not treated as human beings, came to be recognized as citizens. Although this did not makes

304-538: A nation, so kaika , which shares the kanji 開 , gained a meaning like "development". Both bunmei and kaika are kango . The main impetus for the bunmei-kaika was the Meiji Restoration, a series of huge changes that occurred in Japan in the latter half of the 19th century. From 1639 to 1854, Japan was closed to other countries under a policy called sakoku . The Tokugawa shogunate implemented foreign policies such as banning

342-572: A positive sense. Nevertheless, the area flourished as a symbol of " civilization and enlightenment " thanks to the presence of newspapers and magazine companies, which helped spread the latest trends of the day. The area was also known for its window displays, an example of modern marketing techniques. Everyone visited so the custom of "killing time in Ginza" developed strongly between the two world wars. Most of these European-style buildings disappeared, but some older buildings still remain, most famously

380-702: A result, people in Japan became more aware of the need to protect their country, and the idea of sonnō jōi was born. At the same time, the idea of overthrowing the Shogunate spread. Many people demanded Tokugawa Yoshinobu , the Shogun at the time, to return all powers to the Emperor . In an event called the Taisei Hōkan ( 大政奉還 ), the Tokugawa Shogunate agreed to give up its powers. After this,

418-646: A surprise move, the Kokusui-kai withdrew from the Kantō alliance and became an affiliate of the Yamaguchi-gumi. The timing of the change was particularly interesting: the Yamaguchi-gumi's new godfather, Kenichi Shinoda , had been installed just weeks before and had made clear his intent to expand into the Kantō region . The merger with the Kokusui-kai, in which Shinoda became sworn brothers with Kazuyoshi Kudo in

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456-414: Is a popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo, with numerous internationally renowned department stores , boutiques, restaurants and coffeehouses located in its vicinity. It is considered to be one of the most expensive, elegant, and luxurious city districts in the world. Ginza was a part of the old Kyobashi ward of Tokyo City , which, together with Nihonbashi and Kanda , formed the core of Shitamachi ,

494-530: Is also home to many kimono stores, including Ginza Motoji , Echigo-ya, and Erizen. Many people choose to wear their kimono to visit Ginza, and window shop. Flagship electronic retail stores like the Sony showroom (which closed in 2017 and new building would open in 2022) and the first Apple Store outside the United States are also here (Ginza 2 chome). The electronics company Ricoh is headquartered in

532-402: Is the theater for kabuki , one of Japanese traditional playing, and locates on between Ginza and Tsukiji. The building was opened in 1889 and has been reconstructed several times because of war and fire. The present building was built in 2013. Sukiyabashi Jiro ( すきやばし次郎 , Sukiyabashi Jirō ) is a sushi restaurant in Ginza which is owned and operated by sushi master Jiro Ono . It was

570-538: Is zoned to Ginza Junior High School ( 中央区立銀座中学校 ). Bunmei-kaika Bunmei-kaika ( Japanese : 文明開化 , lit.   'civilization and enlightenment') refers to the phenomenon of Westernization in Japan during the Meiji era (1868–1912), which led to major changes in institutions and customs. The term is generally used for the period in the early Meiji era when customs and manners changed drastically from

608-474: The han system . Emperor Meiji also announced the Charter Oath . In this way, the Meiji government steadily came to hold greater political power. The feudal system in Japan collapsed at this time. The new government introduced new systems following the example of foreign countries, especially Germany , and established a new governance system. A famous saying that symbolizes this era is: "If you tap

646-659: The Navy and other naval forces devised ways to combine rice and curry , and developed eclectic dishes such as nikujaga with soy sauce . The Japanese curry rice later became Yokosuka navy curry. Dishes like nikujaga spread to areas around military ports, and by the time of the Showa era, it was widely accepted as a common family dish. Japanese people were fascinated by Western culture at this time. However, different classes of people had different attitudes toward bunmei-kaika . For peasants who were of relatively low rank, taxes became

684-802: The Rokumeikan , which became a key diplomatic building. Gradually, the number of Japanese architects increased, and an architect named Tatsuno Kingo designed a number of Western-style buildings. Tokyo Station is one such example. Other examples of Western-style architecture are the Tsukiji Hotel Building ( 築地ホテル館 , Tsukiji Hoteru-kan ) and Ginza Bricktown. There were major changes in Japanese food culture, such as eating sukiyaki as described in Kanagaki Robun 's The Beef-eater ( 安愚楽鍋 , Anguraku Nabe ) . Before, there

722-507: The Wakō building with the now-iconic Hattori Clock Tower. The building and the clock tower were originally built by Kintarō Hattori, the founder of Seiko . Its recent history has seen it as a prominent outpost of Western luxury shops. Ginza is a popular destination on weekends, when the main north–south artery is closed to traffic since the 1960s, under governor Ryokichi Minobe . Many leading fashion houses' flagship stores are located here, in

760-527: The abandonment of Buddhism , the Ministry of Education disallowed Yamabushi , Shamanism , and other forms of blessing prayer in 1873. In addition, tattoos and Iomante were banned, affecting Ainu culture and Ryukyuan culture . In 1872, the Tokyo Prefecture issued an ordinance ( 違式詿違條例 , ishiki kaii jōrei ) which established detailed regulations to discourage a number of behaviors that

798-515: The feudal society of the past. Under the influence of scholars such as Fukuzawa Yukichi , it was thought that adopting Western culture would allow Japan to overcome the perceived weaknesses of its traditional culture . The term bunmei-kaika was used as a translation of "civilization" in Fukuzawa Yukichi 's book An Outline of a Theory of Civilization ( 文明論之概略 , Bunmei-ron no Gairyaku ) . Originally, only bunmei ( 文明 )

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836-509: The rations served in the military were Westernized in order to increase the strength and stamina of the soldiers. However, the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces , which had just been established at that time, were a group of second and third generation soldiers from rural areas, and some of them, who had been brought up on cooked rice and Japanese food , showed aversion to the foreign Western cuisine. For this reason,

874-611: The Ministry of Finance was in charge of construction. In the following year, a Western-style shopping promenade on the street from the Shinbashi bridge to the Kyōbashi bridge in the southwestern part of Chūō with two- and three-story Georgian brick buildings was completed. These "bricktown" buildings were initially offered for sale and later were leased, but the high rent prevented many of them from being permanently occupied. Moreover,

912-511: The Ricoh Building in Ginza. The neighborhood is a major shopping district. It is home to Wako department store, which is located in a building dating from 1894. The building has a clock tower . There are many department stores in the area, including Hankyu , Seibu , and Matsuya , in which there are many shops: grocery stores, restaurants, women and men clothes, sportswear, and jewellers etc. There are also art galleries . Kabuki-za

950-539: The area with the highest concentration of Western shops in Tokyo. It is one of two locations in Tokyo considered by Chevalier and Mazzalovo to be the best locations for a luxury goods store. Prominent high-end retailers include the American company Carolina Herrera New York , French companies Chanel , Dior , Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent , Italian company Gucci and Austrian brands Swarovski and Riedel . Ginza

988-600: The citizens perfectly equal, the idea that people should have democratic government was born. Many things from the West came into Japan. Imported items included Western umbrellas, shampoo , Western clothing, Western-style buildings, gas lamps , and even schools, newspapers, magazines, and semi-Western-style buildings. These were called kaika-mono ( 開化物 ) . Buildings were built in a semi-Western style , using bricks for walls. A lot of buildings were designed by foreign architects. The British architect Josiah Conder designed

1026-717: The construction of fireproof brick buildings and larger, better streets connecting Shimbashi Station all the way to the foreign concession in Tsukiji. Soon after the fire, redevelopment schemes were prepared by Colin Alexander McVean a chief surveyor of the Public Works under direction of Yamao Yozo , but execution designs were provided by the Irish-born engineer Thomas Waters ; the Bureau of Construction of

1064-511: The construction was not adapted to the climate, and the bold design contrasted the traditional Japanese notion of home construction. The new Ginza was not popular with visiting foreigners, who were looking for a more Edo-styled city. Isabella Bird visited in 1878 and in 1880 implied that Ginza was less like an Oriental city than like the outskirts of Chicago or Melbourne. Philip Terry, the English writer of tour guides, likened it to Broadway, not in

1102-772: The first sushi restaurant in the world to receive three stars from the Michelin Guide , although it was removed from the Michelin Guide in November 2019 because it does not accept reservations from the general public. Each Saturday and Sunday, from 12:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., the main street through Ginza is closed off to road traffic, allowing people to walk freely. This is called Hokōsha Tengoku ( 歩行者天国 ) or Hokoten for short, literally meaning "pedestrian heaven". There are some people who do street performance such as magic and playing instruments. As

1140-513: The first time. In 1877, it was shipped to Tokyo, and at one time nearly 100 beer companies were established. Other changes included drinking milk and the invention of anpan . The government tried to solve a currency shortage by using coins and bills of the former period. Later, the gold standard system was introduced, and the Sinka Jourei ( 新貨条例 ) was enacted in 1871 so that gold could be used as an international currency. In addition,

1178-472: The government regarded as contrary to public hygiene, safety, order, and decency. In addition, part of the rapid Westernization was a sense of crisis over the fact that the Western powers were actively managing colonies at the time, siphoning off vast amounts of wealth from Asian countries. In this context, Western military technology was actively introduced as part of the new military policy, and even

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1216-531: The government, which wanted to unify the monetary system following the example of the United States, enacted the Kokuritu Ginkou Jourei ( 国立銀行条例 ) . In 1879, as many as 153 national banks were established across the country and were granted the right to issue paper money under certain conditions. By the turn of the century, the bunmei-kaika , as both a goal and a process, had prompted criticism from those within Japanese society who considered

1254-507: The movement not to have brought "civilization and enlightenment" but "civilization disease" ( bunmei-byō ). Critics such as Miyake Setsurei and his circle derided the movement's negative effects on Japanese culture, namely decadence, materialism, radicalism, the commercialization of values and the decline of cooperation. The introduction of German economic thought in the 1890s influenced the way some Japanese perceived industrialization and its problems, including class conflict, labor strife, and

1292-465: The original downtown center of Edo (Tokyo). Ginza was built upon a former swamp that was filled in during the 16th century. The name Ginza comes after the establishment of a silver-coin mint established there in 1612, during the Edo period . After a devastating fire in 1872 burned down most of the area, the Meiji government designated the Ginza area as a "model of modernization." The government planned

1330-539: The voyage to Christian countries , banning the arrival of Spanish and Portuguese into Japan, and cutting relations with Southeast Asia . Japan was effectively isolated from other countries. In 1854, Commodore Perry visited Uraga to ask for the opening of the country to the world, which resulted in the Treaty of Peace and Amity between the United States and Japan. This ended the policy of sakoku . As

1368-459: Was limited to urban areas and a few intellectuals. In some rural areas, lights were andon until the Shōwa period. The introduction of a modern mail system and technologies using electricity , such as the telegraph , was very gradual. The traditions and customs of the late Edo period continued for a long time. Since the opening of Japan to the outside world, Japanese customs were reported from

1406-555: Was no culture of eating non-seafood meat in Japan because of a Buddhist belief that the meat of animals was impure . However, in order to promote eating meat, meat was actively used in the Emperor's meals from 1871. When this was reported in newspapers or magazines, meat-eating was encouraged throughout the country. Imports of coffee and butter also started around this time, but these foods did not become very popular in Japan. In 1872, Japanese started brewing and selling beer in Osaka for

1444-512: Was translated as "civilization" in Japan. However, the word kaika ( 開化 ) is now also widely used to mean "civilization". Kaika originally meant "the action of making someone understand reason or principle and guiding them to good direction" in Buddhism . In the Edo period though, the Tokugawa family used the verb akeru ( 開ける , 'to open') to refer to the development of

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