Ginza Brick Town

Japanese: 銀座煉瓦街 - ぎんざれんががい

…The center of pedestrian flow has also shifted from Ginza-dori to Harumi-dori, that is, from the Ginza Owaricho (4th Chome) intersection to the Sukiyabashi and Yurakucho Station areas, but Ginza is taking advantage of its long-standing reputation to create a more modern shopping district. [Masai Yasuo]
[Brick Town]
The foundation of Ginza's prosperity today is due to the realization of the Ginza Brick Town, a reconstruction plan following the Marunouchi Fire on February 26, 1872, which destroyed the area north of present-day 6th Street. The government used the fire as an opportunity to devise a plan to build a streetscape of brick buildings, but the reason for this was that they foresaw Ginza becoming a key traffic point for foreigners, and wanted to beautify the city in order to favor treaty revision.

From Tokyo

…In the midst of all this, the Great Fire of 1872 occurred, which was the direct trigger for the construction of the Ginza Brick Town. The construction of the Ginza Brick Town was initially conceived as part of a plan to build all buildings in Tokyo with brick. One of the aims was to make the city fireproof, but other factors also played a part, such as consideration for foreigners and a desire to show the dignity of the new government within the country. …

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Ginza Brick Town" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…人の流れの中心も銀座通りから晴海通りへと，すなわち銀座尾張町(4丁目)交差点から数寄屋橋，有楽町駅方面へと移動したが，銀座は古くからの知名度を生かして，より近代的な商店街づくりを進めている。【正井泰夫】
［煉瓦街］
　銀座の今日の繁栄の基礎は現在の6丁目以北を焼失した1872年2月26日の丸の内大火後の復興計画，銀座煉瓦街の実現によっている。政府は大火を契機に煉瓦造建築で町並みを建設する計画を企てたが，その理由は銀座が外国人交通の要所となることを見越し，条約改正を有利に進めるための都市美装であった。…