Ginza, east of the Imperial Palace, contains some of Tokyo's most famous shopping as well as art galleries and restaurants. The mention of Ginza to Japanese conjures up visions of high society and shopping. This idea goes back a hundred years to a time when Ginza came to stand for all that was fashionable. Ginza was the site of the Tokugawa government's silver mint, established in 1612, and many silversmiths had their workshops here. They gave the area its name: Ginza means "silver guild".