Ginza INZ is a department store on the edge of Ginza close to Yurakuchō. It was opened in 1958 and hosts about 90 shops and restaurants. It was built right under the elevated Tokyo Expressway and is divided in 3 separate buildings (Ginza INZ 1, 2 and 3). What makes it special is the gaudy decoration of luna park-style lights and low ceilings (especially the basement and second floor) that makes this department store next to a shopping trip also a historic experience.
If you think Ginza is all about luxurious brands, then visiting this department store will bring you back to reality. This department store has plenty of regular brands for regular people. Whenever I go to Ginza I come from the Yurakuchō side, so I pass right through this department store. I started to enjoy the laidback atmosphere of this place. Even on weekends it is usually not that crowded.
Fish artwork over the entrance of B1F Ginza INZ 1
Ginza INZ started out as the Yurakucho Food Center. As part of the reconstruction towards the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, one of the outer moats of Edo Castle was transformed into an elevated express way with underneath 3 storeys of shops. The place was renovated and renamed to Ginza INZ in 1990, a lot of the decoration that you can see now indeed feels very late 1980s, especially the neon style multicolored metallic arches and lunar park-style lights.
One of the restaurants in Ginza INZ
The ground floor has many stores for women’s clothing, make-up and miscellaneous goods with common brands such as Fruit Gathering and The Body Shop directed towards women. However, the beauty of this department store lies in the restaurants, the origin of this department store. Food that was popular during a previous time period has lingered in this place, often also referred to as Shōwa-style food (Shōwa period in Japan: 1926-1989, named after the Shōwa emperor). These restaurants are mainly in the basement floor (B1F) and second floor (2F). These floors can be reached through dedicated staircases at each end of the building or a fancy staircase in the middle of each building (no elevators). Many of these restaurants date from the 1950s and 1960s and many of them have a lot of personality. Be careful though, there are also a number of chain restaurant that are quite generic.
Due to the lack of English information about these restaurants, I made a list to help you along. Information from September 2018.
Name | Name JP | Type | Location | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sazen | 左膳 | Tempura/Soba chain | INZ 1 B1F | |
Ichiniisan | いちにいさん | Pork Shabu Shabu and tonkatsu chain | INZ 1 B1F | |
Sutekian | 素敵庵 | Steak&Beer (from Kagoshima) | INZ 1 B1F | Only 3 restaurants, 2 in Kagoshima and 1 in Tokyo |
Tokyo Ginza Cafetaria | 東京銀座食堂 | Japanese and Western dining | INZ 1 B1F | Part of a large restaurant group |
Cafe Izumi | カフェ・イズミ | Bistro Cafe with pasta dishes etc | INZ 1 1F | |
KFC | ケンタッキーフライドチキン | American Fast Food | INZ 1 1F | |
Ginza Cozy Corner | 銀座コージーコーナー | Bistro chain | INZ 1 1F | |
ballo ballo Ginza | ballo ballo 銀座 | Bistro chain | INZ 1 2F | |
Kawara Cafe | Kawara Cafe | Bistro chain | INZ 1 2F | |
Kissho | 吉祥 | Chinese | INZ 1 2F | |
Gusto | ガスト | Family Restaurant Chain | INZ 1 2F | |
Saizeriya | サイゼリヤ | Family Restaurant Chain (focus on Italian) | INZ 1 2F | |
Ginza Itsuki | 銀座いつき | Tempura (tendon) | INZ 1 2F | |
Bulldog | ブルドッグ | Beer cafe | INZ 1 2F | |
Rakuzo | 楽蔵 | Izakaya chain (general) | INZ 1 2F | |
Kyomachi Shizuku | 京町しずく | Izakaya chain (Kyoto food) | INZ 1 2F | |
Senya Ichiya | 鮮や一夜 | Izakaya chain (seafood) | INZ 1 2F | |
Hatahata Yashiki | ハタハタ屋敷 | Izakaya (Akita food) | INZ 2 B1F | Restaurant part of bigger group with brands such as Warayakiya |
Katamari | 塊 ミートバル | Izakaya (steak) | INZ 2 B1F | Restaurant owned by the group that has Kawara Cafe |
Sekiya | 鮨処 せきや | Sushi | INZ 2 B1F | |
Kanda | かんだ | Tempura | INZ 2 B1F | |
Chaotai | チャオタイ | Thai | INZ 2 B1F | |
Ginza In Okinawa | 銀座IN沖縄 | Izakaya (Okinawa food) | INZ 2 B1F | |
Pekin | ぎょうざ本舗 北京 | Gyoza | INZ 2 B1F | Open since early 1980s |
Sakanaya | 魚や | Izakaya chain (fish) | INZ 2 B1F | |
Budoya | 葡萄屋 | Yakitori and other chicken dishes | INZ 2 B1F | One of 2 restaurants, main one here in Ginza |
Han | ふるさと三昧 藩 | Izakaya chain (general) | INZ 2 B1F | |
Noah | ビアレストラン 創作居酒屋 ノア | Beer restaurant | INZ 2 2F | |
Aka Chouchin | 赤ちょうちん | Taiwan | INZ 2 2F | |
Toraya | 鮪屋―とろやー | Izakaya (focus on tuna) | INZ 2 2F | |
Ginza Sakana ya Shun | 銀座魚や旬 | All types of fish | INZ 2 2F | |
Bangera's Kitchen | バンゲラズ キッチン | Indian | INZ 2 2F | |
Ginza Roshutei | 銀座芦州亭 | Shabu Shabu | INZ 2 2F | |
Michinoku | みちのく | Izakaya (traditional Japanese focus nothern Honshu) | INZ 2 2F | |
Ginza Swing | 銀座スウィング | Jazz club | INZ 2 2F | |
Olive Oil Kitchen | オリーブオイルキッチン | Italian | INZ 2 2F | |
Hakobune | 日本酒スローフード 方舟 | Izakaya chain (regional Japanese food and sake) | INZ 2 2F | |
Ginza Lion | 銀座ライオン | Izakaya chain (focus on beer and western finger food) | INZ 2 2F | |
Champontei | ちゃんぽん亭総本家 | Champon chain (type of noodles from Nagasaki) | INZ 2 2F | |
McDonald's | マクドナルド | American Fast Food | INZ 3 1F | |
Japone | ジャポネ | Spaghetti and curry | INZ 3 1F | Very showa restaurant started in 1980 |
Renoir Coffee | Cafe 瑠之亜珈琲 | Coffee chain | INZ 3 1F | |
Name | Name JP | Type | Location | Comment |
One of the fancy staircases
Entrance of Ginza INZ 3
In practice
Address: 2-2 Ginza Nishi, Chou-ku, Tokyo
Web: http://www.ginza-inz.co.jp/
Names in Japanese: 銀座inz