Most people see Asakusa from the middle of Nakamise, shoulder to shoulder with everyone else. Step one street to the side and it becomes a different town: old shopping arcades, stew counters that open in the afternoon, and a whole street of kitchen shops where Tokyo's chefs buy their knives. This is the half-day eating walk I give friends.
Time4–5 hours, about 2.5 km
Best forA slow Saturday, lunch to dinner
StartKaminarimon, Asakusa Sta.
Best daysMon–Sat
Start: the gate, then get off the main drag
1 Kaminarimon
Take your photo under the giant red lantern, then do what locals do: don't fight your way up Nakamise. Walk up for a minute, then turn left onto Denboin-dori and come back to the temple later from the side.
Denboin-dori
A shopping street dressed up like the old Edo town, with wooden shopfronts, painted signs and small stores selling combs, toys and snacks. It's calmer than Nakamise and better for browsing.
Sweet stop: giant melon pan
2 Asakusa Kagetsudo (main shop)
Kagetsudo's "jumbo" melon pan is crisp on top, soft and warm inside, and about the size of your face. Go before mid-afternoon; when it's gone, it's gone. Eat it at the shop rather than walking, and keep the bag for the crumbs.
Afternoon: stew and the covered arcade
Hoppy Street (Hoppy-dori)
A short street of open-front izakaya with plastic stools on the pavement. It's named after Hoppy, a low-alcohol beer-style drink that people mix with shochu, and it's also known for nikomi, slow-cooked beef or offal stew, with every shop doing its own version. Order a bowl of nikomi and a drink, and you've done Hoppy Street properly. Check the menu prices before you sit down, and note that some places charge a small seat fee.
Asakusa Nishi-sando Shopping Street
A short covered arcade decorated like a festival, with lanterns overhead and shops selling kimono, tenugui towels, sweets and old-style toys. Good for rainy days, and for souvenirs that aren't made for tourists.
Shop like a chef: Kappabashi
3 Kappabashi Kitchenware Town
About 160 shops selling everything a restaurant needs: knives, pots, ceramics, lanterns and the famous plastic food samples. Look for the giant chef statue that marks the street. Many shops close on Sundays and holidays, so this walk works best Monday to Saturday. Knife shops will often engrave your name; ask how long it takes before you pay.
Dinner: okonomiyaki in an old house
4 Sometaro
An old-style okonomiyaki house serving Tokyo-style okonomiyaki and yakisoba off a hot griddle. It feels like eating at someone's grandparents' place, a long way from the crowds around the temple. If you're not sure how to cook it, ask the staff for help. It's closed on some weekdays, so check before you build your evening around it.
Make the walk work
- Pick your day. Many Kappabashi shops close on Sundays and holidays, so go Monday to Saturday, and check Sometaro's opening days before you go.
- Bring cash. Small old shops and stew counters are often cash only.
- Eat where you buy. Many Asakusa shops ask you not to eat while walking. Stand by the shop or find a bench.
- Go light at lunch. Melon pan, a bowl of stew and okonomiyaki add up.
Words that work
- 煮込みとホッピーをください (nikomi to hoppii o kudasai) — Stew and a Hoppy, please.
- 焼き方を教えてください (yakikata o oshiete kudasai) — Could you show me how to cook it?
- 名前を入れてもらえますか？ (namae o irete moraemasu ka?) — Can you engrave my name?
Asakusa has welcomed visitors for centuries, and its best hospitality is in the side streets: the stew cook who remembers your face, the knife seller who sharpens it in front of you. Slow down, sit on the plastic stool, and let the neighbourhood look after you.
— John Nanjo
Keep reading
- A Shitamachi Walk Locals Love: Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi
- Your First Meal in Tokyo: 7 Things Nobody Tells You
- More in this area: Asakusa
Sources: GO TOKYO – Kappabashi Kitchenware Town, japan-guide.com – Kappabashi, Tabelog – Asakusa Kagetsudo (shop information), Rurubu – Sometaro, FUN! JAPAN – Hoppy Street
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