Among Tokyo’s 2,400 shopping streets, Asakusa Nakamise Shopping Street stands out as one of the most beautiful and historic. This vibrant street is lined with shops offering a variety of items, including Japanese sweets, ice creams, rice crackers, street foods, authentic Japanese dishes, and traditional souvenirs.
Asakusa was a bustling entertainment district during the Edo Period, and Nakamise Street remains one of Tokyo’s most iconic destinations. From the Edo Period to the 21st century, it has continued to attract both local and international visitors, offering a timeless glimpse into Japanese culture and tradition.
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Meaning of Nakamise:
Nakamise is now a location name. However, the Japanese word, Nakamise, has a deep meaning. ‘Naka’ means ‘inside,’ and ‘mise’ means ‘see.‘ So, ‘Nakamise’ means ‘which can be seen inside from outside.’
But according to Shinto Shrine’s structural design, a small straight path from the main road leads to the main shrine. Some tea shops and lucky charm shops are located on both sides of the straight path or passageway.
So, Nakamise means people understand ‘entering between or going through shops lining a passageway in the precincts of a Shinto shrine.’
However, Sonsoji is a Buddhist temple. But Nakamise Street is designed in the same concept and the same way as the shrine lining passageway that leads visitors to Sensoji Temple.
Note: Zenkoji Temple in Nagano Prefecture also has Nakamise Street as Sensoji.
Location:
Nakamise Shopping Street is a part of the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo. Nakamise Street starts from Kaminarimon Gate and finishes at Hozomon Gate.
There are 89 shops between Kaminarimon and Hozomon gate, 35 shops on the west, and 54 shops on the east.
The shopping street is only a few steps from Asakusa Station. Besides, the viral photo spot Azumabachi, Asahi Beer Hall, Sumida Park, and Mizumachi are very close.
History of Nakamise Shopping Street:
Nakamise Shopping Street dates back to the late 17th century, when Shogun Tokugawa granted permission to create the street (1688-1735). It was established to serve visitors to Sensoji Temple, offering essentials like green tea, sweets, and toys.
The reason for this development was practical: as Edo (now Tokyo) became the new capital under Tokugawa, visitors to the bustling Asakusa entertainment district and Sensoji Temple increased significantly. To make their visits more convenient, the street was developed to provide necessary goods.
Over the years, the ownership of Nakamise Street changed hands multiple times. Today, it is managed by Sensoji Temple, reflecting its deep historical and cultural ties to the area.
Things to do:
Tokyo’s this entertainment district’s shopping street, Nakamise, always changes its decoration according to the season. Autumn in autumn leaves and Spring in lovely cherry blossoms decorations.
Visitors can buy food and drinks and enjoy life like Edo period. However, if you want to avoid taking garbage with you, be sure to eat in front of the shop and throw it there. Usually, buying from one shop and throwing garbage at another shop is not allowed.
Besides, you can buy authentic traditional Japanese souvenirs, toys, and clothes at low prices here. The clothing shops sell marked with temples, shrines, and Japan’s highest mountain fuji T-shirts.
You may find out antiques from antique shops.
On the other hand, you can see the nearby Asakusa area for a short time. This street is the heart of the Asakusa shopping district.
1) Taste Sweets:
Do you love sweets?
You’ll find famous Chocolate pudding, matcha sweets, Edo sweet Kibi Dango, Ningyoyaki, Imo Yokan, and other famous Japanese sweets.
Besides, you’ll get Asakusa authentic butter creams and ice creams with Sensoji topping.
At the same time, you can get famous local soft drinks. For example, one of the shops is famous for sweets and soft drinks.
So, you can eat Japanese sweets on this street without any hesitation.
a) Kibi Dango:
Edo-style sweet Kibi Dango is one of the most popular sweets on Nakamise, located on the left, entering from the main street through the Kaminarimon gate to Asakusa Temple.
However, the easy way to find it is by looking at the rabbit mark on the shop, or you can find out the name of the shop, Azuma Omaimono Kibi Dango.
This shop is wonderfully popular and always has a long queue in front of the store. The Dango is delicious but cheap. The shop offers cold drinks in summer and hot drinks in winter with Dango.
b) Ningyoyaki:
People can’t think of Nakamise Shopping Street food without Ningyoyaki. It’s a tremendously popular food item too.
Ningyoyaki is one kind of famous Japanese sweet.
‘Ningyo’ means ‘doll’ in Japanese. So the shape of the sweets came from dolls.
It’s a type of ‘baked doll’ cake, a soft sponge cake filled with red bean paste. But the cake can be a Japanese doll, Kaminarimon lantern, fish, or bird shape.
No matter the shape, the taste is the same, made from the same ingredients. The exciting point is you can see it while they make it for you.
There are a few Ningyoyaki shops here, and one of the shops’ names is Kimuraya Ningyoyaki. You can try it.
c) Imo Yokan:
Imo Yokan sweets are famous items on Nakamise Shopping Street (Funawa Shop), made from sweet bean paste and sweet potato paste.
You can choose either sweet bean paste or sweet potato paste. You can also find Asakusa street food items on the street if you’re not satisfied.
d) Rice crackers:
Rice crackers are pretty famous in Japan, made from rice powders and soybean. Therefore, crackers are perfect as a souvenir. Besides, these dry items last long and stay fresh.
There is a big two-story rice crackers shop in front of the Kaminarimon gate, where you can find crackers made from white rice and red rice.
2) Buy Souvenirs:
Nakmise Street has many souvenir shops with excellent souvenirs. You can buy Japanese souvenirs and take them back home as a memory.
Asaka Nakamise Street different from Ueno Ameyoko Market and Sumida Kirakira Shopping Street. It’s beautiful and contains more Japanese goods, including cartoon characters.
Besides, tourists can see all the almost goods from outside and can make a choice quickly. So, buying souvenirs is easy from these beautiful spots.
a) Traditional Dress:
Kimono and Yokota, Edo-style footwear, Samurai swords, cartoon characters, dolls, folding fans, and Japanese monk hats are wonderfully famous among international tourists.
Nakamise Shopping Street is not only famous for sweets but also Cartoon characters. You can find all kinds of anime characters here.
Remember to buy some Japanese anime characters. You can find Rintaou Okabe, Roronoa Zoro, Levi Ackerman, L Lawliet, etc.
However, Oshiritante, Anpanman, and Tororoki are very popular with kids.
b)Japanese Dolls:
Japanese dolls are wonderfully cute and famous. You can get various kinds of dolls here. Interestingly, you don’t have to go to Gotokuji Temple or Imado Shrine to buy Lucky Cat figurines, and you’ll find everything here.
Visitors can get colorful Japanese wooden dolls at a reasonable price. There are also Buddhist-related metal statues at a low price.
Honestly, shop owners don’t price hike to bargain. The price of the goods is always a fair market rate, which means you don’t have to worry about the price of other markets.
c) Folding Fan:
Japanese folding fans are world-famous. However, Japanese folding fans have a touch of Japanese culture.
The folding fans are not only easy to carry but also very nice. These fans are perfectly designed, aiming for the needs of the tourists.
At the same time, these fans are relatively inexpensive compared to their design and usefulness. Tourists can purchase colorful folding fans at cheap prices here.
Besides, visitors also can buy some branded easy travel bags, like Anello bags.
3) Visit popular stores:
Some stores are very popular with tourists, such as Fujiya, Kimuraya, Azuma, Rengaya, Monkado, Suzuya, Takaishi, etc.
These stores are famous to local and international tourists for lovely cotton and silks, kimonos, and Yokota.
A few stores sell mostly traditional Japanese footwear and casual cotton kimonos. Nevertheless, it’s one of the good spots to buy some Japanese footwear.
Many local people buy footwear from the store to attend ritual-related events. However, the store is more famous to international tourists for its English sign board.
4) Take best photos:
You may hear about Kaminarimon Gate, but Hozomon Gate is the best photo spot. However, Hozomont Gate is the best photo spot.
Why and what is it?
Let’s see below-
It’s the second gate and the most magnificent gate of the temple. You’ll find it at the end of Nakamise Shopping Street.
The gate is a two-storied giant gate 22.7 meters high and 21 meters wide. It was burned in 1631, but Tokugawa Iemitsu rebuilt it again in 1636.
Besides, the gate was burned again during Tokyo air raids in 1945 but built again in 1964.
The first story of the gate contains two statues, three giant lanterns, and two large straw sandals. The red lantern in the center weighs 400kg, with 2.7 meters wide, and is 3.75 meters in height
Both sides of the red lantern, two 2.75 meters high copper lanterns, weigh 1000kg. The two straw sandals weigh 400 kg each and are 4.5 meters long and 1.5 meters wide.
On the other hand, you can go to the Asakusa Tourist Information Center, located in front of Kaminarimon Gate, and take landscape photos of Nakamise- dori. It’s always admission free.
So, take some excellent photos for future memories.
5) Enjoy Surroundings:
The shops on Nakamise Street close around 20:00, but you can still enjoy the surroundings of this Edo downtown area. You can join a bar hopping tour and enjoy your nightlife in Asakusa. The guide with show you some famous bars and streets and explain some important history of the area.
Of course, suppose you decide not to join any tour, that’s fine. You can see around without any tour guide, like Asakusa Ameyo Yokocho, Asakusa Rox, Hoppy Street, Nishi Sando Shopping Street, and Asakusa Shin Nakamise Street. I’m sure you’ll find miscellaneous goods in Asakusa, including the Shin Nakamise Street arcade
Suppose you wish to enjoy Tokyo at Night. In that case, you can sit at the Sumida River bank at Sumida Park and enjoy the fantastic view of Asahi Beer Hall, Azumabashi Bridge, and Tokyo Skytree.
Besides, you may see some cute Live Statues at Asakusa. Put a coin in the pot, which is kept in front of the statue, to see the reaction.
You can see my post about the 15 best things to do in Asakusa.
Cash flow:
Worry about Cash flow?
No worries!
Most of the stores accept credit cards. Visitors also can use their UnionPay card.
However, visitors don’t need credit cards because the street food items are usually 300-600 yen.
Business hours:
10:00-20:00
Note: Nakamise Shopping Street opening hours depend on the individual shop owners. Some owners open their shops around 8:00 morning, and some around 10:00.
On the other hand, Nakamise Shopping Street’s closing time also varies. Some shops close around 18:00. However, the closing time is 20:00.
Admission Fee:
Free
Best time to visit:
Any time of the year is fun to visit it. However, around the Hagoita, Cherry blossoms, autumn leaves, and Year-end and New Year seasons are the best to enjoy the street.
Hagoita is held at the same time as the Tokyo Christmas market. On the other hand, Nakamise Street gets overcrowded during the Sanja Matsuri, Hana matsuri, and Hatsumode.
But you can get chance to taste Asakusa street food items from the festival stalls. Many stalls around Sensoji Temple sell famous Japanese street foods.
Some FAQs About Nakamise:
1) What is Nakamise Shopping Street?
Nakamise Shopping Street is a historic 250-meter-long shopping avenue in Asakusa, Tokyo, leading to the famous Sensoji Temple. It features around 90 shops offering traditional Japanese goods and snacks.
2) How do I get to Nakamise Shopping Street?
Nakamise Shopping Street is accessible via Asakusa Station, served by the Ginza Line, Asakusa Line, and Tobu Skytree railway lines. It’s a five-minute walk from the station, traditionally approached through the Kaminarimon Gate.
3) What are the operating hours of Nakamise Shopping Street?
While individual shop hours may vary, many stores typically operate from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
4) What can I buy at Nakamise Shopping Street?
Visitors can purchase a variety of items, including traditional souvenirs, snacks, sweets, and local specialties.
Access:
Nearest Station: Asakusa Station
1) Tokyo Metro Ginza Line
Exit via 3
Walk 2 min (140 m)
2) JR Tobu Line
Exit via Main Exit
Walk 3 min (350 m)
3) Toe Asakusa Line
Exit via A4
Walk 6 min (270 m)
4) Asakusa Station Tsukuba Express
Exit via A1
Walk 10 min ( 550 m )
Tawaramachi Station:
8 min walk ( 600 m)
Address:
1 Chome-36-3 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0032
Official website:
Keywords:
Nakamise Dori, Nakamise Dori Asakusa, Nakamise Shopping Arcade, Nakamise Street Asakusa.
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