Old-School Tokyo Shopping Street

The intense, caramel aroma of freshly roasted hojicha tea is what first stopped me in my tracks on Amazakeyokocho Street. I was working on a cycling story last year when I rode down this old shopping street. I popped into the tea shop, where the storekeeper offered me a taste (delicious), and looked around. The tea shop was next door to the tofu shop. Up the street, a huge line of shoppers waited patiently for taiyaki. Next to the taiyaki shop stood another sweets shop, then a shop selling bamboo brooms and kitchenware, run by an ancient woman. One traditional shop after the other. When I checked my handy map, I couldn't believe this incredible street was just an eight minute subway ride from the glitz and bustle of the Ginza. I read that this area escaped damage during the war, so many of the original buildings are still intact. If you're in Tokyo, you shouldn't miss the Amazakeyokocho. Stroll down the street and nosh. That's what I just did, during a brief few hours in the city. (Take the Hibiya line to the Ningyocho Station, check the station map (with English) for Amazakeyokocho, easy to find.) Here are some pictures:

Posted by Harris Salat in Tokyo | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email | Print

Comments (2)

Your photos show the kind of Japan I am keen to visit when I go over there at the end of this year. I've been furiously bookmarking old-style streets like this to research and go to when I'm there so thank you for this other piece of Japan to visit. Jennifer Australia

Jennifer | Posted 21:12 03 July 2010

Wow. Japan has long been a passion ever since the first a high school showing of a documentary on Japan. These pictures capture how I imagine Japan to be - a metropolitan people in a timeless city. Harris, yours is a blog where I read each post over and over.

Natalie Sztern | Posted 09:05 04 July 2010

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