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We filmed it on Friday, April 17th, 2020 in downtown Tokyo.
Just the day before, the Japanese government expanded the state of emergency for the coronavirus outbreak to the entire country.
The following areas are covered in this episode:
00:38 Akasaka
03:08 Toranomon
06:02 Yurakucho
09:43 Otemachi
14:03 Tokyo Station, Marunouchi
16:35 Tokyo Station, Yaesu
18:01 Bank of Japan
About Akasaka
Situated between the government center of Nagatacho and the nightlife and gallery-rich streets of Roppongi, Akasaka is a humble yet high-end neighborhood. First-class hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants and foreign embassies lend the area an international atmosphere.
About Toranomon
Toranomon (虎ノ門) is a business district of Minato, Tokyo.
Literally meaning “Tiger’s Gate,” Toranomon was the name of the southernmost gate of Edo Castle.
About Yurakucho
Yūrakuchō (有楽町) is a business district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, situated in between the Ginza and Hibiya Park, southeast of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. The district takes its name from Oda Nagamasu (or Urakusai, 1547–1622), younger brother of Oda Nobunaga. Nagamasu built his mansion here on land near the Sukiya-bashi Gate of Edo Castle granted by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The place name dates from the Meiji period. It arises from an altered pronunciation of Urakusai.
About Otemachi
Ōtemachi (大手町) is a district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is located north of Tokyo Station and Marunouchi, east of the Imperial Palace, west of Nihonbashi and south of Kanda. It is the location of the former site of the village of Shibazaki, the most ancient part of Tokyo.
About Tokyo Station
Tokyo Station is a major gateway to the capital for visitors arriving by bullet train or from Narita Airport . The magnificent red-brick facade, built in 1914, gives way to a bustling underground city of train tracks, shops, and restaurants.
The iconic red and white brick design of the original station building was inspired by Amsterdam’s Central Station. Sadly, it was damaged during World War II but has been restored to its former splendor thanks to a major renovation project finished in 2012. The elegant Neo-Baroque inspired ceilings under the large domes are one of the highlights, their warm yellows and unusual eagle and zodiac designs giving the space a grand feeling.
About Bank of Japan
The Bank of Japan (日本銀行, Nippon Ginkō, BOJ, JASDAQ: 8301) is the central bank of Japan. The bank is often called Nichigin (日銀) for short. It has its headquarters in Chūō, Tokyo.
Like most modern Japanese institutions, the Bank of Japan was founded after the Meiji Restoration. Prior to the Restoration, Japan’s feudal fiefs all issued their own money, hansatsu, in an array of incompatible denominations, but the New Currency Act of Meiji 4 (1871) did away with these and established the yen as the new decimal currency, which had parity with the Mexican silver dollar. The former han (fiefs) became prefectures and their mints became private chartered banks which, however, initially retained the right to print money. For a time both the central government and these so-called “national” banks issued money. A period of unanticipated consequences was ended when the Bank of Japan was founded in Meiji 15 (October 10, 1882), under the Bank of Japan Act 1882 (June 27, 1882), after a Belgian model. It has since been partly privately owned (its stock is traded over the counter, hence the stock number). A number of modifications based on other national banks were encompassed within the regulations under which the bank was founded. The institution was given a monopoly on controlling the money supply in 1884, but it would be another 20 years before the previously issued notes were retired.
Following the passage of the Convertible Bank Note Regulations (May 1884), the Bank of Japan issued its first banknotes in 1885 (Meiji 18). Despite some small glitches—for example, it turned out that the konjac powder mixed in the paper to prevent counterfeiting made the bills a delicacy for rats—the run was largely successful. In 1897, Japan joined the gold standard, and in 1899 the former “national” banknotes were formally phased out.
Since its Meiji era beginnings, the Bank of Japan has operated continuously from main offices in Tokyo and Osaka.
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