Tokyo Governor Koike announced on June 2nd that the city plans to build a garden promenade along the KK Line where it crosses rooftops in the Ginza district of Chuo Ward. Ginza is one of Tokyo’s ritziest shopping destinations, known for its expensive real estate, luxury store fronts and first-class sushi shops. It is also one of the most popular destinations in Tokyo for both domestic and foreign tourists. The promenade idea is meant to create an attractive public space that will continue to attract visitors to the area.
The concept is modeled on New York City’s High Line Park (pictured in the lead photo) and was proposed by the major of Chuo Ward to Governor Koike. The High Line is a 2.3-km (1.45-mile)-long elevated linear park, greenway and rail trail created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan.
Ginza’s aerial promenade will be built on the rooftops of buildings crossed by the KK line, which is a 2-km highway connecting the neighborhoods of Yaesu and Shimbashi. It is operated by Tokyo Expressway along with commercial buildings located beneath the highway.
Although it will take about ten years to fully complete the project, Tokyo metropolitan and Chuo ward authorities hope that the initial phases will act as a catalyst for the revival of tourism in Tokyo in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games next summer.
Sources: Nikkei newspaper, June 3, 2020 (in Japanese), Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway Company, xtech Nikkei (in Japanese)
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