Ameyoko Shopping Street
アメヤ横丁（アメ横） · Ameyoko Shopping Street
- Ward
- Taito
- Price
- ¥500~5,000
- Hours
- Varies by shop, typically 10:0
- Closed
- varies by shop
- Getting there
- JR Ueno Stn walk 2 min / Okachimachi Stn right outside
- Founded
- 1946
- Advice straight from the association chairman
- At year end the clothing and shoe shops close early and rent their frontage to
- The marked price on year-end frozen tuna means little
We do not republish copyrighted photographs. Use the links below to see the actual venue.
Obvious to locals, invisible to visitors
There is a simple reason guidebooks leave this out: to the people who live here it is too obvious to be worth explaining.
Advice straight from the association chairman: prices sit at round numbers, so haggling item by item gets nowhere. Bundle instead — 'these three for five thousand' — because the shop would rather sell one person a lot.
At year end the clothing and shoe shops close early and rent their frontage to fishmongers, so the street changes trade entirely. The 30th is peak crush; by the morning of the 31st things sell out — but the later it gets, the harder shops cut prices to clear stock.
The marked price on year-end frozen tuna means little — pause at a stall and you may be offered half. But some packs stretch film across the tray and lay a thin slice on top so it looks thick. Check the depth from the side.
The year-end fish stalls take cash only. List what you want and fix a budget before you start bargaining. Crowds separate people easily, so locals name the statue in front of the Ameyoko Center Building as their meeting point.
What it is
Taito is a ward the shitamachi ward holding Asakusa and Ueno. The sign has faded and the doorway is narrow — yet at lunchtime people file through it without a break. The set with rice and soup is the safe pick — more satisfying than ordering à la carte. Arrive at opening and seating is no issue — though turnover is brisk, so lingering is hard. If you want photos, just ask first — permission is usually given readily. This is one of those places that beats its photos. People often arrive with low expectations and leave surprised.
What to order
Why locals keep coming
Most customers live within walking distance. Disappoint them once and they never return — which keeps the floor high. Turnover is fast — food arrives quickly and twenty minutes is enough from sitting to standing.