Day 3 - Asakusa + Kappabashi St + Ueno + Akhihabara + Kanda Yabu Soba

Asakusa, the bustling 'old town' of Tokyo is where we are headed off early to today. Home to the venerable Senso-ji temple, we planned to have the street snacks along Nakimise Street leading up to Senso-ji as breakfast.

Nakamise Street...


Super touristy but colorful, Nakimise street is lined with shops selling knick knacks, traditional Japanese sweets, souvenirs and snacks. We ended up with some Japanese Mua Chee thing (which wasn't too nice), black sesame ice cream and Japanese pancakes. The entrance to Senso-ji is flanked by a large red lantern that is now synonymous with images of Asakusa, even Japan. We were greeted by a vibrant scene of tourists (loads of Korean, Taiwanese and Ang mohs) and Japanese alike trying to get a piece of the action.

With both Senso-ji and Meiji-Jingu being must-visits for any Tokyo visitor, I think both me and CK preferred the serene, peaceful feel of the latter as compared to the boisterousness of Senso-ji. However, Senso-ji is not without its quiet areas. There were nice, quiet areas found in pockets of the vast premises.

Time for lunch and our next stop Ueno. We walked enroute to Ueno through Asakusa's quaint little streets and Kappabashi Street. Kappabashi Street is known as the 'kitchen town' of Tokyo. In case you are wondering, yes that is where Japan's famous plastic food is manufactured. Not just that, you can even find soba knives costing 260,000 Yen!!!



A large suburban area characteristic of the working class in Tokyo, Ueno is well known for the Ueno Park (home to countless museums and galleries) and Ameyoko Market, a large pasar malam of sorts. The historical Ueno Station is also a major gateway to other parts of Japan.

Ueno Park. A gorgeous green oasis amidst a concrete jungle...


Lunch was at Izuei Unagi Honten, a very famous Unagi restaurant with a whopping 260 year old history, said to favoured by the Japanese royal families. We ordered two Unagi bento sets, one with tempura and the other with seasonal items. The unagi was tasty but I thought the ambience of the place was even better. Served by an elegant old lady donning a lovely kimono at a table overlooking the beautiful Ueno Park and surrounded by groups of Japanese enjoying a quiet lunch, I thought this was a quintessentially Japanese experience, comparable to say, slurping ramen at a busy ramen shop.

Brilliant Bentos at Izuei, a 260 yr old restaurant!


Full and satisfied, we took a leisurely walk around Ueno Park and headed towards Ameyoko Market. We were supposed to walk through Ameyoko towards Akhihabara but CK thought we were supposed to head straight to Akhihabara. It was so sweltering hot that when we backtracked, we took a train instead. Hah.

Anyway, Ameyoko Market is filled with fruit stalls and other stalls selling fresh produce as well as second hand shops selling watches and stuff like LV bags. There were some cut fruit sold at some stalls and we had a honeydew which was refreshingly sweet and juicy.



We finally finally made our way towards Akhihabara. It became more and more evident we were in the electronics and gadget land. Neon billboards showcasing colorful Anime characters covered buildings and electronic shop after electronic shop lined the streets. What's interesting was also the fact that there were quite a number of female pamphlet distributors dressed in cosplay.

We have stepped into the fantasy (and definitely fascinating and kinky) world of cosplay, anime and gadgets in Japan.

Akhihabara...


One of the most interesting shops we have come across in Japan is what we call a 'porn plaza'. Imagine a 7 storey one stop destination for all your sexual and fantasy needs. From porn videos to dildos to role-playing costumes to weird gadgets designed for (gasp!) office use, this surreal place is reality in Japan.

What's porn at every storey...


The weirdest thing about this place was that there were several polaroids displayed of ordinary girls paying(!) to pose in various costumes or states of undress. There was a sign that said if you pay for this service, you can buy the costume you posed in at a discount.

Night fell and it was dinner time. We had planned to have dinner at another famous shop - Kanda Yabu Soba. Reputed to be the most famous soba shop in Tokyo, this antique gem has been open since 1881! We had such a hard time locating this place (walking in circles around Awajicho and even asking one salariman offering to bring us there!) but the effort was well worth it coz the place was exceptionally beautiful in a old Japanese style, the cold soba the very best I've tasted and the superb service of a very friendly old lady (with porcelain white skin in a traditional kimono) insisting to explain what you are eating - even though it was clear we dun understand a word that she's saying!!!

Cold soba. The very best you can get.


Our orders were not hollered, electronically imprinted or memo-ed into the kitchen. It was sung into the kitchen. Yes, our orders were literally processed into a song by a lady and well, the kitchen must have heard. Haha.

Anyway, we started with a hot soba which was just so-so. Then we noticed everyone was eating the basic cold soba so we ordered it. This is definitely the recommended option over the hot soba as the texture of the cold soba was simply exceptional. We were also served some salty homemade miso paste to go with beer. Very interesting too.

All in all, we had a really fabulous dinner and I highly recommend Kanda Yabu Soba for the best soba you can get in Japan.