, also romanized as Nihombashi, is a business district of Chūō in Tokyo, Japan. The district grew up around the bridge of the same name. The bridge connects two sides of the Nihonbashi River. A series of bridges at the same site have had the same name since the 17th century.
Traditionally, all distances in Japan are measured from the centerpoint of the Nihonbashi Bridge. This custom began in the Edo period.
History
In the Edo period, the Nihonbashi Bridge was the start of Tōkaidō road which connected Edo and Kyoto. The earliest Nihonbashi Bridge was made of wood. It was completed in 1603. The current bridge is made of stone. It was completed in 1911.
In 2009, Nihonbashi was recognized as one of the 100 Landscapes of Japan which best show contemporary Japan and its culture in the Heisei period.
Timeline
1603 (Keichō 8): Wooden bridge built. 1605 (Keichō 10): The first official map of Japan was ordered with distances measured from Nihonbashi. 1911 (Meiji 44): Bridge was re-built using stone.