EBISU

Ebisu Tokyo - Tourism guide to Ebisu Tokyo.

Ebisu (恵比寿, archaically also Yebisu) Ebisu is a quiet neighbourhood in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan. Conveniently located to Roppongi and Shibuya, Ebisu is easily accessed by the JR Yamanote and Hibiya lines via Ebisu Station. Its small size makes for a comfortable atmosphere and features many quirky restaurants and bars. Together with the trendy neighbouring communities of Daikanyama and Hiroo, they offer high-class boutiques, funky vintage stores and hip patisseries all within easy walking distance from Ebisu station.

Ebisu's main tourist attraction tends to be centred around the newer Yebisu Garden Place and the Westin hotel area. Accessible from the Ebisu Station East Exit via the "Yebisu Skywalk" covered moving walkway, it features the headquarters of Sapporo Breweries, The Beer Museum Yebisu and the Tokyo Metropolitain Museum of Photography.

As a transit point for riders on the Yamanote and Hibiya lines, Ebisu is home to many interesting bars and restaurants from the izakaya style restaurants, an English pub to a resurgence of old style tachinomi "standing and drink" bars. Most of these establishments tend to be on the older area favored by the locals adjacent to the Ebisu Station West Exit off Komazawa-dori however the Yebisu Garden Place Tower features some cool views of Tokyo from its restaurants on the 38th floor.

Statue of Ebisu in front of JR East Ebisu Station. Picture by Fg2

Ebisu was founded around 1928 as the community developed around the Japan Beer Brewery Company facilities where the the Yebisu Garden Place now stands. Yebisu Beer, named for one of Japanese Seven Gods of Fortune, was introduced in 1890 by Japan Beer and has long been a local favourite. The area adopted its name from the train station built in 1901 by the company to facilitate distribution of its beer. Japan Beer has since reorganized and renamed Sapporo Breweries Ltd. and after the beer factories were moved to Chiba in 1988, the area has been redeveloped as the Yebisu Garden Place and opened to the public in 1994.

The spelling "Yebisu" is intentionally archaistic. With or without the "y" the pronunciation is the same as "Ebisu."

(Article based on Wikipedia article and used under the GNU Free Documentation License)