Sensoji Temple sits at the top of almost every Tokyo itinerary. Arrive mid-morning and you’ll understand why that’s both a blessing and a curse. When my hubby and I turned up, the crowd near the main hall was already shoulder to shoulder. So we did what any hungry couple would do — we skipped the queue, ate our way down Nakamise Shopping Street (仲見世商店街), then wandered off into Asakusa’s retro backstreets instead.
Passing under the giant red lantern of Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), you step straight into one of Japan’s oldest shopping streets. Craft stalls, souvenir shops, folding fans, keychains — it’s all here. But the snack stands are the real reason to slow down. Follow your nose. It rarely lies.
4 Must-Try Street Food Snacks Along Nakamise Shopping Street
A quick word on etiquette first. Tabearuki (walking while eating) is frowned upon here. The street is packed, spills happen, and nobody wants red bean paste down their coat. Stand to the side of the shop or use the vendor’s designated standing area, finish your snack, then move on. Most stalls keep a small bin for their own packaging.
1. Freshly Baked Ningyo-yaki (Doll Cakes)
- Shop: Fresh machine-baked ningyo-yaki stall
- Price: ¥100 per piece (or 10 for ¥600)
You can’t leave Nakamise Shopping Street without a ningyo-yaki — little sponge cakes moulded into birds, pagodas and lanterns. We stopped at a stall with an automated baking press churning them out, hot and steaming.
I grabbed a bird-shaped one for ¥100. Golden, fluffy, and packed with smooth sweet red bean paste (anko). Cheap, warm and genuinely lovely.
2. Spiced Shichimi Rice Crackers at Terakoya Honpo
- Shop: Terakoya Honpo (寺子屋本舗 浅草店)
- Price: ¥150 – ¥250
Prefer savoury? Look for the red noren curtains. Terakoya Honpo specialises in handmade tezukuri okaki and senbei, grilled to an airy, shattering crunch. Soy sauce and seaweed are the safe picks.
We went bolder with the shichimi togarashi (七味唐辛子) version — brushed with soy, then dusted heavily with Japanese seven-spice and sesame. Mild heat, huge crunch, gone in a minute.
3. Deep-Fried Agemanju at Asakusa Kokonoe
- Shop: Asakusa Kokonoe (浅草九重)
- Price: ¥200 – ¥450
Just steps from Hozomon Gate, you’ll spot the queue before you spot the shop. Kokonoe takes steamed buns (manju), dunks them in tempura batter and deep-fries them until crisp outside, tender inside. We ordered one sweet, one savoury:
- Sakura (¥250): Pink sakura paste wrapped in a real salted cherry blossom leaf under the batter. Floral, sweet, salty. My favourite bite of the day.
- Curry (¥250): Rich, spiced Japanese curry paste sealed inside golden batter. Basically a posh curry puff, haha.
4. Glossy Candied Sweet Potatoes at Oimoyasan Koushin
- Shop: Oimoyasan Koushin (おいもやさん興伸)
- Price: From ¥740 (200g)
Wander slightly off the main drag and you’ll find this sweet potato specialist, going strong since 1876. The star is daigaku-imo (大学芋) — chunks of deep-fried Japanese sweet potato glazed in thick mizuame syrup and scattered with toasted black sesame.
We took away a bag of their classic Miyabi candied yams. Sticky, glossy shell. Soft, dense, naturally sweet inside. Share it, unless you fancy a sugar coma.
Quirky Finds Just Off Nakamise Shopping Street
The fun doesn’t end at the temple promenade. Duck into the side alleys and Asakusa gets far more interesting.
1. Rooftop Thieves Beside Nakamise Shopping Street
Cutting across Nakamise Shopping Street is Denboin Dori (伝法院通), styled like an Edo-period village — wooden shopfronts, craft workshops, iron lanterns. Keep your eyes up. Perched on the roofs and awnings are life-sized figures of the Shiranami Gonin Otoko, five legendary thieves from classic Kabuki plays. Look for Nippon Daemon and Benten Kozo crouching above kimono shops and ramen joints like Ramen Yoroiya.
2. Retro Showa Vibes at Asakusa Rokku
Head west to Rokku Broadway, Tokyo’s pre-war entertainment district and still gloriously old-school.
- Asakusa Engei Hall — plastered with rakugo storytelling banners and paper lanterns.
- A Spider-Man statue leaning off the balcony of Kobe Beef Daia, sitting metres from traditional woodblock print shop Mokuhankan. Peak Tokyo.
- Asakusa Don Quijote — an enormous multi-level variety store. Great for tax-free snack souvenirs on the way out.
Practical Info for Nakamise Shopping Street
- Opening hours: Most stalls open 9:00am – 10:00am and shut by 6:00pm – 7:00pm.
- Best time to go:
- 9:00am – 10:00am (best overall): Shutters roll up, snacks and souvenirs are ready, and the big daytime tour groups haven’t rolled in yet.
- Before 9:00am (best for photos): Quiet, peaceful, and you get to see the hand-painted Edo murals on the closed metal shutters (Asakusa Emaki). Downside — nothing’s open, so come hungry and leave hungry.
- After 6:00pm (best for serenity): Most shops shut by 6.00pm or 7.00pm. The lanterns come on and the street turns calm and near-empty. Lovely for a slow evening walk.
- Payment: Many stalls take IC cards (Suica/Pasmo) and QR payments, but keep ¥100 and ¥500 coins on you. Faster, and the aunties will love you for it.
How to Get to Nakamise Shopping Street
- Tokyo Metro Ginza Line: Asakusa Station, Exit 1 — 1-minute walk to Kaminarimon Gate
- Toei Asakusa Line: Asakusa Station, Exit A4 — 3-minute walk
- Tobu Skytree Line: Asakusa Station — 3-minute walk
- Tsukuba Express: Asakusa Station — 5-minute walk, closest to Rokku Broadway and Don Quijote
Go early, eat first, temple later. Nakamise Shopping Street rewards the hungry and the observant — and Asakusa’s back alleys quietly do the rest.
