GAME FOR GINZA

and entertainment district, has a well-founded reputation for being exclusive and eye-wateringly expensive. It certainly can be; after all, the area grew up around an Edo-era silver mint, and in modern times became an early symbol of the Japanese capital’s prosperity. But beyond its neon-lit boulevards, this 30-square-block pocket of central Tokyo is also an endlessly fascinating precinct of hidden bars, generations-old businesses, and quirky finds. The city’s principal kabuki theater resides here, as does a huge concentration of art galleries. It’s also a great place for strolling. The term —or “Ginza wandering”—was coined a century ago by flaneurs of that era, but it still has currency, as a day spent exploring these streets will