WAR HAS CHANGED TOKYO'S GINZA

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5300, 13 January 1947, Page 2

WAR HAS CHANGED TOKYO'S GINZA

SHODDY COPY OF OLD SELF TOKYO ' The Ginza, Tokyo's "Times Square" has risen from thc ashes caused by superfort bomhings to attract again thousands of -shoppers to the htntdreds of traditional sid'ewalk stalls lining each side of the street, as well as to an occasional concrete department store ibuilding which survived the American air-raids. The Ginza of pre-war days was notcd for its rich and luxurious shops, glittering at night in the bright hues of countless neon Rghts, while its roadside stalls catered to the less affluent of Tokyo's residents. To-day, cheap and flimsy-looking wooden shops, shanties and itiner--ant barrows pred'ominate and, with ' "earlyi closing" the rule, the Ginza is no longer a night-time show-place. It is still, however, the chief shopping and business centre of Tokyo, as well as a favourite public promenade. Although the Ginza of to-day is a mere shadow of its former self, the people of Tokyo'* have ambitious plans for making their "Main Street" even more resplendent than it was before the war. The city authorities plan to widen it and adjoining streets, and to replace the existinig- flimsy shops and temporary structures with modern fire and earthc(uake-proof buildings. It is planned that eventually only high-elass shops and offices will flank the main streets, with 'movie houses and theatres concentrated in one locality. >It is hoped that, in about 10 years, the Ginza will be an international shopping mart comparable to the principal street of any other city in the world. Virtually anything and everything can he bought on the Ginza — at a price. The recent easing of controls on .most commodities caused prices to rocket skyward. Prices of secondhand European or American goods are fantastic.