Ginza has a distinguished history even among the many famed districts of Tokyo. Indeed, the neighborhood’s story traces back over 400 years. With the renaming of Edo (old Tokyo) in 1869 (the second year of the Meiji era), the name “Ginza” officially came to be. This coincided with the launching of a plan to construct a truly fireproof city in the Western tradition. With that, the boulevard currently known as “Chuo-dori” was paved with bricks along a stretch of seven kilometers. Rows of brick-built stores also sprang up along both sides of the thoroughfare. With the subsequent creation of a covered arcade on one side, visitors could leisurely stroll without opening their umbrellas on rainy days. This prompted an even greater surge of happy window shoppers to be drawn to the district regardless of the weather. It was around this time that the phrase ginbura (“strolling on the Ginza”) was coined as a trendy term. Tokyo’s “Chuo Ward” is a virtual treasure trove of modern architecture. More specifically, from the Meiji to the Taisho eras of Japanese history (1868-1926), a series of exquisite buildings, most destined to remain in the pages of architectural history, were erected in Nihonbashi, Ginza, and other chic districts.
Located at the Ginza 4-Chome intersection, an address famed as Japan’s most fashionable, SEIKO HOUSE is a true landmark of Ginza. The current version of the building, noted for its elegantly curved facade, is the second-generation structure. It was completed in June of 1932 as the “Hattori Watch Shop Building. ”Featuring seven aboveground floors and two basement levels, it embodies the Neo-Renaissance style. This design was the brainchild of Jin Watanabe, an architect also renowned for his work on the Tokyo National Museum. Natural stone was used for the outside walls as a countermeasure for earthquakes and fires. The building emerged as a beautiful structure featuring arabesque patterns and elegant decorative reliefs.
Towering above the roof is a clock tower that shines as an essential symbol of Ginza. Its four prominent dials can be read from most anywhere in the vicinity. On June 10, 2022, this clock tower celebrated the 90th anniversary of its completion. Recognized as the hallowed home of Seiko, the building is strategically positioned as a base for the transmission of information concerning the Seiko brand.
The dial of the Evolution 9 Collection SLGH005, rooted in a concept derived from the image of a white birch forest on the Hiraniwa Plateau in Iwate Prefecture, incorporates a bold pressed pattern and delicate coloring. The result is a texture created in the image of those majestic white birch trees, with a design stimulating a profound sense of sophistication. This elegant creation’s dignity exudes the sophistication of Ginza, a place where beauty endures through the ages.
Text by Taka Kawachi
