Bakuro-Yokoyama
Bakuro-yokoyama
Station lies
on the Toei Shinjuku subway line
in the Nihonbashi area of Chuo Ward
of Tokyo. Although the station is
located in the Yokoyama district
of Nihonbashi, it serves both Yokoyama
and Bakuro districts, hence the
name. Bakuro-yokoyama Station is
also connected with the neighboring
Higashi Nihonbashi Station by an
underground passage.
Bakuro
and Yokoyama together
form the textile and clothing wholesalers'
district of Tokyo. Locally known
as "Yokoyamacho/Bakurocho Wholesale
Town", the area has a history
that goes back to the Tokugawa period.
During that time the area was located
on a busy main road, and so many
hotels were built along the way.
Merchants coming from all over Japan
to trade stayed in these hotels
and opened their stores nearby.
Soon the place grew into a busy
wholesale business area. During
the Meiji period, the area grew
even more and became a large commercial
zone with most of the original wholesale
businesses remaining in the area.
Today,
the Yokoyamacho/Bakurocho Wholesale
Town is one of Japan's largest areas
where wholesale stores come together.
There are over 1,500 stores in a
row with each store handling a wide
array of both Western and Japanese
textile, clothing and accessories.
It is a very busy area with mainly
retail shop clients frequenting
the stores.