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Located in Ueno, Ameyoko is one of the busiest market streets in Japan.
Called “Ameya-yokocho” or “Ameyoko” for short (literally, candy shop alley), the market is filled with not only candy shops, but many other discount shops for food, shoes, clothes, bags, cosmetics, jewelry and candy. And there is always a large crowd to be found.
In late December, my wife, daughter and I usually visit the street in search of high-end festive foods, such as bluefin tuna or premium wagyu beef.
It is fun to prices in many of the shops drastically drop on New Year’s Eve, as shops looks to sell as many goods as possible before closing down for the Oshogatsu (New Year’s) holiday. The prices might start at 30 percent off, but they go up – 50, 60 and even 70 percent off as the year ends.
As you may imagine, the nasty virus and the State of Emergency made the extremely active street very calm the last three years. Many eateries on the street were closed or were open for limited hours and did not serve alcohol.
My wife and I recently visited the street as did countless others. The street was filled with a cheerful and festive atmosphere. It almost seemed normal again.
We had such a good time that we decided to come back on New Year’s Eve to enjoy the holiday vibe and pick up discounted foods for the new year.
Ameyoko evolved out of an open-air black market that sprung up after World War II, and it is now home to more than 400 shops. Hours of operation depend on each shop, but typically most are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Numerous Izakaya bars are open of the street, and are a great place for tasty food and a cold drink.
Ueno, home to Ameyoko, is fantastic town accommodating Japan’s oldest zoo, tons of museums, a French-style modern park filled with cherry trees, numerous Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, along with the busy streets of downtown make Ueno a great attraction in Tokyo. Ueno is a couple hours away by train from any of the U.S. military installations in the Kanto Plain, providing an ideal destination for a day trip.
