Ginza, Tokyo: Aston Martin, Dior, and the Most Bougie Street

Day 4 in Tokyo and we’re running on empty. Jet lag hit hard enough that I skipped dinner the night before and woke up way too early. We leave tomorrow night, so I’m leaning into it and hoping that by the time we land back home, my body is already on the right schedule.

Today’s mission: keep exploring, keep shopping.

Back to Tokyo Skytree for Local Prices

We started the morning back near the Tokyo Skytree area. The tip we kept getting from locals was that Shibuya, as great as it is, runs a tourist premium. The stores know who’s walking through. The prices reflect it.

The neighborhoods around Skytree are a different story. More local foot traffic, more competitive pricing. So we headed back to see what we could find.

Navigating Tokyo by Letter and Number

We’ve been riding the train all day and I have to say, the Tokyo metro system is shockingly easy to use even if you don’t speak a word of Japanese. Every line is assigned a letter, every stop a number. You always know which direction you’re heading. It’s logical in a way that would make transit planners in LA weep.

At Tokyo Plaza, we switched lines and kept moving.

Landing in Ginza (Without Really Knowing It)

We ended up in another part of Tokyo I couldn’t immediately identify. I thought it might be Ginza but wasn’t sure. I kept saying I’d look it up later. (Spoiler: it was Ginza.)

One thing that stood out immediately: elementary-school-aged kids riding the subway on their own, completely unbothered. No adult, no problem. I genuinely don’t know if my kids could handle that, but it was impressive to watch. The system is that safe and that easy to use.

Lunch at Komoro Soba

We ducked in for lunch at Komoro Soba, a soba restaurant that turned out to be solid. The catch: the ordering kiosk was entirely in Japanese. They had an English menu on paper, but the machine itself had no English option. You had to mentally translate and then match it to the Japanese on screen.

I wanted to try cold soba, apparently that’s the move, but we couldn’t decode the menu fast enough. The staff was visibly frustrated, which I get. We ended up with hot soba, which was good, just not what I intended. A small lesson in reading the room (and the kiosk).

The Aston Martin Vanquish

Walking back out onto the street, I spotted it immediately: a sleek dark car parked at the curb. I went straight over to investigate.

My first guess was DB9. I was wrong. I walked around to the back to check the badging. Vanquish. An Aston Martin Vanquish. The driver was still inside, so I kept my distance and just admired it from a respectful angle. Thing was absolutely immaculate.

This is Ginza. Of course there’s a Vanquish just parked on the street like it’s nothing.

Kasanova Vintage and the Louis Vuitton Wall

Right nearby, the family found Kasanova Vintage, a multi-floor vintage boutique tucked into one of Ginza’s vertical retail buildings. The elevators had product displays built into the walls. Advertising on the way up, which is a very Ginza move.

They went in. I stood outside. From what I could see through the window, the place was stocked heavy with Louis Vuitton. Bags, accessories, the works. Secondhand luxury done right. The prices inside weren’t my problem to deal with, so I waited and watched the street.

More Exotic Cars

A Porsche rolled by. I tried to ID it: probably a 911 Carrera. Then another Porsche, a 718 Cayman Spider convertible. Then a McLaren 720S. Then an AMG S63 with what looked like a Brabus kit.

I missed getting most of it on camera. Every time I lowered my phone, something else came around the corner. Ginza is legitimately one of those places where the cars on the street are better than most auto shows.

Standing Outside Dior

While I was out on the sidewalk cataloging exotic cars, the rest of the crew was inside Dior. I stepped out before they even finished looking at the first item. The prices are not for me. I’ll stand outside and report on the parking situation.

It says something about a neighborhood when the street-level vibe is just: Dior, Aston Martin, McLaren, Porsche, repeat.

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