SUNAMACHI GINZA SHOPPING STREET

Sunamachi Ginza Shopping Street in Koto-ku is a traditional shopping street of Tokyo where people can feel the nostalgic time of the Showa Era (1926-1989). It is located in the area where trains do not run nearby. Instead, buses run frequently to Kinshi-cho and other JR Sobu Line Stations such as Kameido, Ryogoku etc. The shopping street is about 670 meters in length and about 160 shops sell chiefly foods and almost all other daily necessities. The street was called "okazu yokocho" before. Okazu meaning side dishes eating along with rice. The place was before a town of family owned small factories and working class people lived and live. The shopping street which was once filled with huge shoppers of more 10,000 a day is overwhelmed by seven super markets built within 4 kilo meters from the shopping street. Visitors today decreased to about 3,000 a day (2017). At the same time, lack of storekeeper successors is a big problem resulted from the aging Japanese society. Shops without successors have been rented out and also Koreans and other nationalities run some stores and restaurants today. Directors of the Sunamachi Ginza Shopping Street hope for visits of inbound tourists. Things sold here are cheaper than other places. Fresh and delicious "okazu" foods are special and unavailable at supermarkets.

Shops Opening Time: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Access: Buses from Kinshicho Station on JR Sobu Line (get off at Kitasuna 2-chome bus stop)
Telephone: 03-3235-8031 (Mon-Sat, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.)