Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
@
Benzaiten Temple
This temple is dedicated to the goddess of
fortune.
At the southeastern edge of Shinobazu Pond is the:
#
Shitamachi Museum (Shitama-
chi Fuzoku Shiryokan)
Shitamachi
means “downtown” and refers
to the area of Tokyo where commoners
used to live, mainly around Ueno and
Asakusa. Displays here include a shitama-
chi tenement house, as well as everyday
objects used in work and play, all donated
by people living in the area.
From the Shitamachi Museum, head south on Chuo
Dori and turn left on Kasuga Dori, passing Matsuza-
kaya department store and Ueno Center Mall. Here,
at Okachimachi Station, is:
$
Ameya Yokocho
This narrow shopping street is located
under and along the west side of the ele-
vated tracks of the Yamanote Line between
Ueno and Okachimachi stations. Origi-
nally a wholesale market for candy and
217
snacks, and after World War II a black
market in U.S. Army goods, Ameya Yoko-
cho (also referred to as Ameyacho or
Ameyoko) today consists of hundreds of
stalls and shops selling at a discount every-
thing from vegetables and cosmetics to
handbags and clothes. Early evening is the
most crowded time as workers rush
through on their way home. Some shops
close on Wednesday, but most are open
from about 10am to 7pm.
WINDING DOWN
For drinks with a view and piano
music, head to the south end of
Shinobazu Pond where, on the 10th floor
of the Hotel Park Side, 2-11-18 Ueno, the
Sky Lounge
(
&
03/3836-5711
) is open
daily 5 to 11:30pm (cover charge: ¥500).
Attracting a younger crowd is
Warrior
Celt
(p. 258), 6-9-2 Ueno, a friendly bar
with a nightly happy hour and free live
music; it's just a stone's throw from Ameya
Yokocho. Also,
Hard Rock Cafe Ueno
(p. 143) is in JR Ueno Station.
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WALKING TOUR 4
YANAKA
START:
Tennoji Temple (station: Nippori)
FINISH:
Nezu Temple (station: Nezu)
TIME:
Allow approximately 4 hours, including stops along the way
BEST TIMES:
There is no “best” time, as such, for this walk, but head out early in the day
WORST TIMES:
Monday, when some shops and the Daimyo Clock Museum are closed
Yanaka has been famous for its large concentration of temples since the Edo Period, when
most temples and shrines were removed from the inner city and relocated to the outskirts
in an attempt to curb the frequent fires that ravaged the crowded shogunate capital. Not
only did the religious structures' thatched roofs ignite like tinder, but the land they for-
merly occupied would also subsequently be cleared and left empty, to act as fire breaks
in the otherwise densely populated city. Furthermore, temples on the edge of town could
double as forts to protect Edo from invasion. The only invasions Yanaka suffered, how-
ever, were friendly ones, as townspeople flocked here to enjoy its peacefulness, wooded
hills, paddies, clear streams, and majestic temple compounds. It wasn't long before the
wealthy began building country estates here as well, followed by artists and writers who
favored Yanaka's picturesque setting and cool breezes.
One of Tokyo's few old quarters to have survived both the 1923 Kanto earthquake and
firebombs of World War II, Yanaka is still largely residential, with narrow lanes, small
houses, and a few unique museums and traditional shops tucked here and there among
the gently sloping hills. Because there are no major attractions or department stores here,
