Translating as “Central Ward”, Chūō is home to Tokyo’s Stock Exchange and a lively fish market. It also includes the famous shopping, dining and entertainment area of Ginza where some of Tokyo’s most luxurious mansions and apartments are found.

Things to do

Visit Tsukiji Fish Market, which comes to life with more than 1,000 fish and seafood stalls during the early morning hours. It’s a fascinating hive of activity, with the tuna auction particularly famed for its large fish.

A short walk from Tsukiji Fish Market takes you to the Jodo Shinshu temple of Tsukiji Hongwanji, renowned for its Southeast Asian-inspired architecture. It combines Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic ornamentations with Greek and Roman-style columns, as well as a pipe organ made in the former West Germany.

Want to learn about the Japanese stock market? Head to the Tokyo Stock Exchange to visit its history museum and explore the Media Center where news agencies set up. You can also experience a simulation of stock trading at the fascinating Market Experience Corner.

Be sure to explore the beautiful Hama-rikyu Gardens originally built for the 17th-century shoguns. Wander the trails lined with flowering trees and photograph the island tea house, which stands juxtaposed against the towering skyscrapers of Tokyo.

Getting around

Tokyo Station lies on the western edge of Chūō and is a major transport hub for trains and subway services across the city. There are subway stations scattered throughout the district, while the sights in the south are within an easy walking distance of one another.