Ameyoko
last update: February 11, 2021
Ameya-Yokochō (アメヤ横丁), literally "Ameya Alley", but commonly shortened to Ameyoko, is a historic open air market in Tokyo, located near Ueno Station.
All you need to know about Ameyoko
Once you exit JR Ueno station south side (
Hirokoji exit), in front of you you will see the elevated railway tracks that go to the next
Okachimachi station, about 500 meters away.
Below and alongside these elevated railway tracks, you'll find the vibrant
Ameyoko area. Large luminous signs with the inscription "Ameyayokocho", also in the Latin alphabet, mark various entrance roads to the market.
the illuminated sign of the entrance wenst of the railroad tracks, next to Yodobashi Camera
The market area covers an area of about 15 thousand square meters. Here, after the Second World War, a black market for products from the United States developed, mostly goods in surplus of the American troops who had occupied the country. The prefix "Ame" in the name of the neighborhood perhaps originates from the word "America". Maybe, because we don't know for sure. According to another theory, the name Ameyokocho derives instead from the Japanese word
ameya (飴屋, ie "candy shop"). In the early post-war period, when sugar was hard to find in Japan, the streets of this market were filled with candy shops, among others, and there are still several candy shops today.
the place where these two streets cross is one of the most famous in Ameyoko
Today Ameyoko is a chaotic and busy
street market filled with shops selling everything, especially clothes, bags, shoes, cosmetics and food, fresh food, watches, and more. There are also several restaurants. The shops are open from 10 in the morning until 7 or 8 in the evening. Ameyoko has always been a
low-cost shopping area, after all Ueno was the old working class district of Tokyo (Shitamachi). In recent years, however, the boom in tourists has raised some prices a bit.
Furthermore, not only the streets of Ameyoko, but the whole surrounding area is a very characteristic area where you will find many bars, street restaurants, izakaya, capsule hotels, hostels, pachinko and arcades. The area has the shape of a sort of rectangle bordered on the north by Ueno station, on the south by Okachimachi station, on the west by Chuo Dori and on the east by Showa Dori (see the map to understand more). If you are in Ueno this is the best area to eat or drink, in a
very informal atmosphere and at very low prices.
walking in Ameyoko
How to get to Ameyoko
You can easily get to this area from JR Ueno (Hirokoji Exit) or Okachimachi (North Exit) station in less than a minute on foot, just cross the street in front of you once you exit.
Guided tours, activities and other things to do
If you are planning a trip to Japan and you want to do something more than just visiting famous places and monuments, we suggest you to use
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the illuminated sign of the entrance wenst of the railroad tracks, next to Yodobashi Camera
the place where these two streets cross is one of the most famous in Ameyoko
walking in Ameyoko
