4 Best Sights in Nihonbashi, Tokyo

Formerly the Bridgestone Museum of Art, the Artizon Museum is one of Japan's best private collections of French impressionist art and sculpture and of post-Meiji Japanese painting in Western styles by such artists as Shigeru Aoki and Tsuguharu Foujita. The collection, assembled by Bridgestone Tire Company founder Shojiro Ishibashi, also includes works by Picasso, Utrillo, and Van Gogh. In addition, the museum mounts exhibits featuring works from other private collections and museums abroad.

The older part of the Bank of Japan complex is the work of Tatsuno Kingo, who also designed Tokyo Station. Completed in 1896, on the site of what had been the Edo-period gold mint, the bank is one of the city's few surviving Meiji-era Western-style buildings. An annex houses the Currency Museum, a historical collection of rare gold and silver coins from Japan and other East Asian countries. There's little English-language information on the exhibits, but you can download an audio guide for your phone or pick up a explanatory printout on the second floor—after passing through the airport-like security check at the entrance.

Kite flying is an old tradition in Japan. The collection here includes examples of every shape and variety from all over the country, hand-painted in brilliant colors with figures of birds, geometric patterns, and motifs from Chinese and Japanese mythology.

Originally built in 1603, this was the starting point of Edo Japan's five major highways and the point from which all highway distances were measured. Even today, you'll see signs noting the distance to Nihonbashi. Rebuilt in stone in 1911, the structure's graceful double arch, ornate lamps, and bronze Chinese lions and unicorns are unfortunately marred by an expressway running directly overhead. In the rush to relieve traffic congestion in preparation for the 1964 Olympics, city planners ignored the protestations of residents and preservation groups and pushed ahead with construction. Still, the sight of a modern highway running over the old stone bridge makes for interesting photos.