While much has changed since Japan last hosted the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group in 1964 — a year that symbolized the nation's achievement of reconstruction after World War II through the hosting of the meeting and the Summer Olympics — art has always reflected, reviewed and foreseen the times.
With the aim of providing visitors with a glimpse of the art scenes in today's Japan, the galleries in the Ginza district of Tokyo are offering free art tours through Oct. 14 on the occasion of the meetings being held in the capital.
Ginza, which was designated as a model of modernization by the Meiji government in 1872, has developed into one of the most sophisticated and luxurious shopping districts in the world. The name of the district comes from the silver mint that was there during the Edo Period (1603-1867). Today, besides world-famous brands and department stores, Ginza is also known as a center of Japanese art and culture.