Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to join our Asakusa/Ueno Park tours on August 11. It was a very hot day in the middle of summer. We welcomed 11 people from Italy, Australia and America. As some of you may be aware our website has been renewed and the long-awaited Ueno Park Tour page is here! It has been added to our Website as the fourth tour. I hope that the new page will raise the interest and awareness of Ueno Park Tour.
There is an interesting and exciting place at Ueno/Asakusa area. It is Kappabashi Street which boasts the Japan’s largest kitchen ware products. It is located almost in the middle between Ueno Park and Sensoji Temple. You could walk from each place. The closest station is Tawaramachi of Tokyo Metro Ginza Line.
The big statue of a chef is the landmark of Kappabashi Street. It is recommendable for a foreign visitor to get a handy map. The map has industrial classification in English with the free Wi-Fi spots which is available at most of the shops for free. The total length is approximately 1 kilometer with over 170 shops specializing in kitchen tools such as dishes, pots, cooking utensils, knives, plastic food samples and the like.
A Japanese tableware shop, ‘Kosai’(www.kosai,tokyo) has a selection of excellent ceramics, glass ware and lacquer ware. A kitchen knife shop, Kamata(www.kap-kam.com) has 90-year history and is visited by chefs around the world. Kamata’s kitchen knives are known for a sharp and resilient blade. A plastic food sample shop, Kappabashi Store(www.ganso-sample.com) offers perfect food samples such as sushi. Foods look so real, but you can’t eat it. You may be able to find a bargain at this street.
Kappabashi started as the second-hand tool shops in 1912 and now attract foreign visitors as wel as Japanese people. Window shopping is also enjoyable. When you get tired of shopping, you may look at the charming gold-plated bronze statue of ‘Kappa’ mascot, water-dwelling creature of the Japanese folklore or rest at a cool café ‘‘Sensing Touch of Earth’’ on the middle of the street.
After or before our tour at Sensoji Temple or Ueno Park, it is highly recommendable to visit the kitchen tool street.
The free tours in Asakusa and Ueno Park are held on the second and fourth Sunday every month. It is possible for you to enjoy both tours at Asakusa in the morning and Ueno Park in the afternoon. Just turn up without reservation. Please see the details of our website.
(posted by Yoshi)