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Japanese Prefects set up shop in Ginza |
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Ginza is traditionally known to be Glitzy - with famous upmarket shopping, art galleries, dining and entertainment.
It seems that Ginza is also becoming "the" place to highlight local specialities and tourist information from prefectures (counties) around Japan. With many prefectural governments setting up stores around the area. According to the Japan Center for Regional Development, satellite shops in Ginza became widely known in 1994 after Okinawa opened an outlet. In 1995, Kagoshima opened a shop near Ginza in Yurakucho, and Hokkaido and Iwate followed suit. This trend has continued with Gunma and Tottori prefectures opening stores during summer last year. Yamagata prefecture will also relocate it's Tokyo outlet to Ginza in spring 2009. These "local" regional stores are providing an outlet to exhibit and sell local food delicacies as well as provide tourist information. And it is proving worthwhile for the prefectural stores. Japan has suffered various health scandals with infected food that had been produced outside of Japan. This subsequently led to more Japanese being conscious buyers and wanting to source "local" food or made in Japan. On November 21st 2008, Tottori prefecture began to sell the famous "matsuba" crabs. There are now about 15 prefectural satellite stores in the Ginza, Yurakucho and Shinbashi districts. |
