It's a commonly heard lament of many that nothing in Tokyo lasts. A trip into the city one day and you come across what appears to be a thriving clothing store. A visit to the same store a month later and the clothes are gone; in their place, plates of cheap sushi for snack-seeking hordes. The feeling that Japan's never-ending capital whizzes on by leaving everyone behind is not without substance.
Yet for many who have spent time in this city, Tokyo's history emerges from every nook and crevice. Laced with the sense of the past, even the modern buildings that replace the old soon fall into history's embrace. And while many physical signs disappear, many do not. The past ever lives on in the nation's capital and the ones that remain, are in fact, are made anew by their presence.
If you head down to Chiyoda City Ward, you'll come across one such nod to history. Once surrounded by similarly designed buildings, Ebihara Shoten has outlasted its brothers and sisters and taken on a new life of its own. The location began life in 1890 as a second-hand clothing store, with the current building having been built in 1928. In 2003, Ebihara Shoten was designated as an Important Property of Chiyoda City Ward's urban landscape.
Even before its city honours, Ebihara Shoten's signage earned national acclaim in the 1970s. Almost retro in its appeal, the building combines elements of both Japanese and Western designs and these days, having become a repository of sorts for Japanese craftsmanship culture. Its ground floor entrance has been reformed, leading to a genteel sense of presence and the building is no longer in the business of clothing, Ebihara Shoten now hosts events, including art exhibitions.
When things change in Tokyo, they sometimes never return. In Ebihara Shoten's case, its changes have seen it stay the same, another example of Tokyo's history continuing to live on in unexpected ways.
