Nihonbashi

, also romanized as Nihombashi, is a business district of Chūō in Tokyo, Japan. The district grew up around the bridge of the same name.Chuo City Tourist Association, "Nihonbashi" . Retrieved 2012-3-25. 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.Richie, Donald. (1994). Introducing Tokyo, p. 15.

History
In the Edo period, the Nihonbashi Bridge was the start of Tōkaidō road which connected Edo and Kyoto.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Tōkaidō"  in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 973. 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."100 Landscapes of Heisei announced," Yomiuri Shimbun. May 2009. Retrieved 2012-3-30.

Timeline
 1603 (Keichō 8): Wooden bridge built.
 1605 (Keichō 10): The first official map of Japan was ordered with distances  measured from Nihonbashi.Traganeou, Jilly. (2004). The Tokaido Road: Traveling and Representation in Edo and Meiji Japan, p. 230. 
 1911 (Meiji 44): Bridge was re-built using stone.

Related pages
 Nihombashi Station
 The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō
 List of the 53 Stations of the Tōkaidō

References

Other websites

Category:Buildings and structures in Tokyo
Category:Stone bridges
Category:Bridges in Japan