Tokyo, Japan Apr. 17 Wed 8:41AM
Where the Locals Shop
Ameyoko (アメ横), short for Ame-yayoko-cho, is a famous shopping street in Ueno, Tokyo. It's a busy street market located between Okachimachi and Ueno Stations that has been many things over the years- traditionally, it was known for selling candy ("ame" means candy in Japanese), but the "Ame" can also be interpreted as "America," because during and in the years after World War II, Ameyoko served as a black market shopping area.
There are lots of cheap places there and it’s really popular, especially with locals. There are over 450 shops of all kinds, including clothing, electronics, and even food. There are also many small, mom-and-pop type restaurants serving traditional Japanese fare.
Unlike a lot of the high-end, glossy shops in Tokyo, at Ameyoko, vendors and shopowners are willing to negotiate prices, which is what makes it so popular with locals from all over Tokyo and the surrounding areas. Buying things in bulk makes them even cheaper, as does buying foodstuffs towards the end of the day.
Ameyoko has an old Tokyo vibe that's becoming harder to find as Japan (especially Tokyo) is becoming ultra-modern. It's definitely worth a visit for the atmosphere alone!
You can find a lot of brands that may be available back home, but due to the low exchange rate of the Japanese yen right now, they are considerably cheaper than you can find at home! There are also lots of limited edition styles that are only available in Japan.
There are also lots of other types of food, not just Japanese.
You can also see how expensive melon can be in Japan!
Access to this shopping street is really easy. You can take the JR Yamanote Line and use your JR pass and get off at Ueno Station or Okachi-Machi Station.
