アサクサ ナカミセ

There’s so much to buy and eat in the shopping street! And as a result, there is A LOT of people. We came here around 2pm, which might be why there were so much people. We opted to look at all the shops on one side while walking up to the Sensoji and then do the other side while walking back from Sensoji.
Nakamise is one of the best concentrated areas for souvenirs. Each stand has a lot of the same but sometimes there will be unique pieces that you won’t find anywhere else. I was able to buy tiny neko cat figurines for my coworkers here for a good price that didn’t break the bank. They also sell those temple rice-​crackers that come in individual packing for about $ 5USD for around 60 – 70 pieces. They last a really long time and make a great snack.
There’s also an insane amount of snacking going on — there’s a lot of mochi, soft serve, ningyo-​yaki in various shapes and sizes, age-​manju, and even ice cream sandwiches! We ate so much here that we didn’t even need to sit down and have lunch!

This shopping area is a MUST place to come if you are heading to the Sensoji Temple. The culture and people can be seen all over here. I would say most of the time, the vendors are pretty friendly! There are many shops and things to buy here; some items can be a little pricey but you have many to choose from. You can get all your souvenirs here from shirts, fans, tea pots, chopsticks, trinkets, bags, tons of snack shops. Your loved ones will like them all and the one thing I like was the quality they put in the items sold. Love when they give you snack samples to try! I want to bring them all home with me! My fave was with the red bean pastry and you can see them make it, too! The mochi’s were good!
This market came be super busy especially during the weekends. Watch out for those feisty people pushing through. This is what we had to do the day we came on a weekend. Still all in all, I think this is one of the famous markets or tourist spots to go to… all worth the experience!

Snack foods you must try when here:
1. melon pan (at 花月堂, it’ll pop up as the first few things on Unilocal)
2. Agemanju (九重, not found on Unilocal but it’s the booth to the left, exiting the main shrine with roasted
chestnuts and a huge variety of little fried desserts)
3. 人形燒: little figures filled with red bean paste. (any place is the same! But you’ll have to buy a bunch of 8 minimum)
4. Sanbei: rice crackers mostly savory (any place is the same! Super cheap. 50 yen-​150 yen)
5. Taiyaki (anywhere works! It’s not found as common as #3, but if you haven’t had one, try it out!)
6. Ice cream! Crazy flavors everywhere… you can get it at #1 or Funawa (丹和)
These are all supposedly tradition snack foods. Definitely has some Chinese influence for some, but nonetheless, delicious!

This is a good place for shopping for knick knacks and souvenirs. The small stalls have plenty of different items that tourists can take back. It was surprising to see groups of women dressed up in kimonos as well. I didn’t have time to see all the shops. There are even more shops that spread out further from the traditional stalls. After a while though most of the shops start to seem to be the same. We headed off to the Kappabashi Dori area afterwards to see the restaurant equipment.

One of the main entrances of Sensoji Temple is through the Nakamise Dori, which is this shopping street lined with souvenir, snacks, and craft shops. It is located in between Kaminarimon and Hozomon (the gates with giant red lanterns).
There were long lines for some of the snack shops, so get in those lines and try out some Japanese treats. This is a very convenient and cute street to check out if you want to eat local foods and shop for trinkets to bring back home!

Asakusa is the center of Tokyo’s Shitamachi (working-​class neighborhood). This area is known as Shitamachi. In English, «Shitamachi» means «low city». During its heyday, this area was located just outside of the Edo city limits and was famous as an entertainment district.
Nakamise-​Dori:
(1) Nakamise shopping street is approximately 250 m long.
(2) It connects «Kaminarimon» with Senso-​ji Temple.
(3) Numerous stores line the street on both the east side and west side. There stores sel various Japanese products and Knick-​knacks.
(4) There’S an assortment of Japanses foods to try and eat.
(5) The narrow street gives visitors a sense of a tradition Edo period shopping street
In Japanses, Dori means «street». There are numerous stores lined up here on the Nakamise shopping street. About 50 on the east side and 30 on the west wide. Here, people can buy all sorts of Japanese products and knick-​knacks.
Nakamise shopping street has an assortment of foods you can enjoy. The wax displays show customs what the dishes look like. From delicious confectionary to traditional snacks, there‘s a lot to try. Legend has it that legendary Tokugawa Ieyasu once walked this very street. And legend has it that when Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Edo dynasty and warlord who governed Japan in the early 1600’s, himself walked on this street back when it was first establish.

If you’re looking for souvenirs, Asakusa Nakamise is one of the must go to places for tourists for better prices, diverse selection, outdoor market/​street food, and pictures and the temple.
You can find various swords, masks, shirts, and a unique umbrella here that beads artistic patterns of water when it gets wet.
I wish I could have stayed longer, but was on a schedule. You can easily spend the whole day here.

This area has an enormous number of shops with all sorts of souvenirs and stuff to buy. There are restaurants inside, and then more along the outer parameter. It’s a huge area and I don’t think anyone can cover it all in one day, and we actually ended up going twice and still did not see everything. It’s a tourist magnet but also attracts a lot of Japanese. This is the place to do your souvenir shopping for sure. I did not try to bargain but just paid the listed price. The best way to get there is on the Ginza line, Asakusa station.

This is a famous street with lots of shopping right before the temple. There is a lot of food and cheaper souvenirs to buy for those loved ones back home. It’s a pretty long street too, so I’m sure you’ll find something just perfect for yourself or one of your loved ones.
There are a lot of people here so be wary that you might have to fend off people who are in a hurry which seems to be the case in Tokyo with nearly everyone. Either way, a neat little street to check out.

Very very touristy! This shopping street is close to Sensoji temple and a number of other temples and shrines. Therefore, there’s always a huge number of people (and also lots of English signs)!. It’s not necessarily the best place to shop (unless you want some Japanesey souvenirs for friends and family). But there are loads of stalls for snack foods!

I really wish I had more time to explore! I went to Asakusa to visit the tourist center to get more information about Tokyo. I saw the crowd and followed that instead and ended up at the Nakamise shopping street! It’s crowded, and walking around with purple potato ice cream was a bit of a challenge. But it’s if you’re looking for knick knacks and souvenirs, you’ll find them here.

This is one of my favorite shopping streets in all of Tokyo. Bear in mind that I don’t generally like shopping, so this is huge for me to admit. I love the olden-​style, traditional feel of this street. Goods range from snacks and sweets, to clothing and attire, to souvenirs and other things. I loved people watching here and the atmosphere was fabulous.