Suzuran-dōri is a street name drawn from the suzuran, the Japanese term for Lily of the Valley, a delicate woodland plant bearing small, white, bell-shaped flowers on slender stems. Namiki, meaning rows of trees, lends itself to the street name Namiki-dōri, evoking images of tree-lined avenues. Azuma-dōri is an ancient name that refers to the eastern territories of a once-divided Japan. Meitengai describes a street or block (gai) composed of reputable (mei) shops (ten). These are a selection of names that frequently adorn the gateways of Japan's sheltered arcades and pedestrianised shopping streets.

There are at least 20 streets named Suzuran-dōri in Tokyo. You'll find Suzuran-dōri from Kanamachi on the eastern urban fringe to Tachikawa in the far west. The renowned Ginza district features a full trio: Suzuran-, Namiki-, and Azuma-dōri. Ginza's version of these streets doesn't closely resemble their counterparts across the city, but they are still some of the best paths to get away from the area's crowded thoroughfares and closer to it's old spirit. Furthermore, along with those street names mentioned, the name Ginza itself has been applied to shopping streets nationwide. I've encountered estimates of up to 90 "Ginza" arcades in Tokyo and 300 across Japan—the challenge of visiting them all surely beckons.

The convention for streets and areas adopting the 'Ginza' designation entails prefixing the local area's name, exemplified by Yanaka Ginza, a historic quarter in Tokyo's northern reaches. Nothing distinguishes a Ginza from a Suzuran, a Namiki, or an Azuma. They are all commercial zones, usually manifesting as neighbourhood shopping streets, blissfully closed to vehicular traffic during peak times. These shopping streets might be covered arcades or open-air routes functioning as a neighbourhood's central axis. They could be the focal point of old-fashioned shopping malls or constituent parts of a more comprehensive network of similar shopping streets with drinking and entertainment alleyways.

The shopping street is a visually arresting place adorned with decorations hanging from the ceiling. Numerous signs flank either side of the walkway, with various colourful advertisements and shop names displayed in Japanese characters. Such streets meet the daily requirements of the local community with a selection of small enterprises, including greengrocers, meat purveyors, booksellers, hardware dealers, sake shops, and kimono specialists, to name a few. They also feature street food vendors, modest eateries, kissaten, and izakaya. While chain supermarkets, pharmacies, and fast-food franchises may sporadically appear, they are the exception rather than the norm.