JR Yurakucho Station is a well-known gateway to the shopping paradise of Tokyo's Ginza district, whose very name invokes images of luxury and big-name brands.
But it is interesting to note that Ginza's reputation as a trendsetter was the result of a fire that broke out in a government facility in February 1872 then spread, burning down the whole district.
To avoid a recurrence, the Meiji government decided to build fireproof houses made of red brick at a time when most houses were made of wood.
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