Or: How to Buy a Japanese Knife In Tokyo’s Kappabashi Kitchen-ware Street. 1. Go to Kappabashi. 2. Go to Kama-Asa. It’s on the west side of the street, just before the halfway mark at Kappabashi crossing (there’s no sign other than the one on the traffic light). If you come the fun way, walking from […]
Asakusa
Kappabashi 3 – good stores
After much pfaffing, finally we get to the real and useful segment of this series of posts. Most people, I suspect, walk to Kappabashi from Tawaramachi on the Ginza line. This is most efficient, and there are probably even signs in the station like there are in Akiba for ‘Electric Town’. [My preferred alternative is […]
Kappabashi 2: Fake Food
I noticed on the map that Kappabashi is actually called 合羽橋, not 河童橋. I can’t explain this. Moving on… People often describe Kappabashi as ‘the fake food neighborhood’. It’s not. There are exactly 3 stores selling fake food. More like exactly two-and-a-half, actually, since one of them is pretty small and sad. But the two main […]
- Asakusa
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Tsunezushi, Asakusa (常寿司)
There are few things better than getting buried in an old neighborhood and popping randomly in to a nice place to eat. No? In Tokyo there are whole magazines devoted to this peculiar pastime, but all you really need is a train pass and a good nose for restaurants. I love trying to interpret the […]
- Asakusa
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Sake no Daimasu Wine Kan, Asakusa
Wow, there’s not a lot to do in Asakusa on New Year’s. I thought all the junk vendors on Nakamise Dori would stay open all night, but they were closing up around 8. There were an amazing number of yatai around and behind the temple, but we all know what they sell. Walking around a […]
- Asakusa
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Namiki Yabu Soba, Asakusa (並木藪そば)
I confess to some confusion as to how we ended up at this place, but it was sure a traditional way to begin the New year evening. When someone says Monnaka is ‘downtown’, I always say “It’s half downtown, and half suburban. If you want to see downtown, go to Asakusa.” Well, we went downtown […]