Kappabashi Street

One of the more off-the-chart tourist spots in Tokyo must be Kappabashi Street, between Asakusa and Tarawamachi subway stations on the Ginza line. Kappabashi is the heart of the Japanese kitchen and restaurant industry. this is where you must go if you plan on running a restaurant anywhere in Japan. It is lined with shops selling everything from chef uniforms in packs of 20 to spun cotton machines to plastic models of spaghetti and shrimp. Great if you run a sushi restaurant back in your home town or if you usually cook for a family of 40.

The start of the street is marked by the head of Chef Niimi on side and a row of very interesting looking ’70s balconies on the other (see the first picture). Kappabashi Street takes its name from the mythical Japanese monster, the Kappa, one interpretation of which you can see in statue on a side street, with a golden rather buff body. The Kappa was a charming race of creatures believed to be living near rivers and swamps and luring people into the water to feast on their intestines. Not very pleasant but luckily enough they were easy to trick by offering them cucumbers! Which, if you happen to be a sushi fans explains the name for the kappa-maki (in case you ever wondered). These days they have had a bit of an image change and are now portrayed by kindergarten kids in annual parades.

One of my favorite walks when I have few hours to spend is to take a long walk from Asakusa to Ueno, passing Kappa-bashi. It’s also a great place to pick up weird souvenirs in the form of the plastic food samples you will see outside restaurants all over Japan. Every single one is handmade. Amazing.