I spent ten nights in a capsule hotel around Iriya - just north of Ueno - so I am partially biased to this area of the city. I spent quite a bit of time here and enjoyed walking around the quieter neighborhoods that offered a nice contrast to the busy streets of Ginza, Shibuya, and Shinjuku. If you are staying in Tokyo for an extended period of time this area of the city offers quality accommodations at a reasonable cost. It's the older section of Tokyo - both from an age of building perspective and an age of residents perspective. The one down side that was decent the quiet neighborhood feel there were not too many restaurants in the area - I had hoped to find some hidden gem but other than a nearby cafe there weren't even that many places to check out.
Just south of the JR Ueno Station is Ameyoko a warren of vintage and second hand shops and stalls under the Yamanote Train line. There are also a few blocks of busy izakayas that offer outdoor seating so you can watch businessmen and shoppers scurry by - I thought this was one of the best people watching places in Tokyo - none of the crazy youth culture, just people looking for food and/or a beer after work.
Just south of the JR Ueno Station is Ameyoko a warren of vintage and second hand shops and stalls under the Yamanote Train line. There are also a few blocks of busy izakayas that offer outdoor seating so you can watch businessmen and shoppers scurry by - I thought this was one of the best people watching places in Tokyo - none of the crazy youth culture, just people looking for food and/or a beer after work.
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ASAKSUA
Asakusa is the historical area of old Tokyo. There is a shrine and temple complex but it's not nearly on the same level as Kyoto. Nearby is Kappabashi-dori street. Restaurant proprietors shop here for kitchen appliances, dining ware, and anything else they may need. Two stores are dedicated to selling the fake plastic food you see in restaurant windows throughout Japan. It would make an excellent kitschy gift but with prices starting at $60 per "meal" that's a pretty steep price tag for kitsch. Even a sushi piece key chain started at $10. I don't question the high prices though - the quality of these pieces felt much better then what you'd expect looking through the window - certainly much better quality then the plastic fruit pieces you find in the US.
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AKIHABARA
AKB48 - Pachinko Ad
This is Tokyo's electronic hub and contains all the offshoot geek sub-categories of magna, anime, etc. The strangest (if you're not Japanese) sightings are Maid Cafes in which women, dressed as maids, wait on male customers as if the customers were little children. The longer you are in the restaurant the weirder the experience. If the maid cafes aren't strange enough you could always pop into AKB48 Cafe. AKB48 is a Japanese teen idol group - originally consisting of 48 girls but the group size has grown with their popularity. Whether you make it to Akihabara or not you are likely to see the girls faces endorsing Pachinko or some other product across Japan. The sing the same bubble gum pop you'd find in the US but instead of adoring teenage fans they seem to have a lot of older, male fans...at least that was the case in the cafe.
I'd caution spending too much time in Akihabara - it's either enthralling or creepy - and you may start to extrapolate the activities of this vibrant sub-culture to all of Japan. While there was a lot of geek activity in this area it's not as though you bump into similar activities throughout Japan.
I'd caution spending too much time in Akihabara - it's either enthralling or creepy - and you may start to extrapolate the activities of this vibrant sub-culture to all of Japan. While there was a lot of geek activity in this area it's not as though you bump into similar activities throughout Japan.
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Akihabara has a few seven plus story towers dedicating to the magna and anime fans. Floors are lined with magna, roll playing cards, and figurines of all sorts are available for purchase. I saw a few Nintendo favorites - Super Mario and Zelda - but again the prices were ridiculously high for a three inch tall figurine. That doesn't stop the Japanese for purchasing but it does cause the indifferent tourist to hold off. Other stores are dedicated to Cosplay and Maid costumes. If you're not shopping there are a few heavily traffic arcade rooms in the area too.
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SENDAGI
West of Ueno Park I stumbled upon one of my favorite areas of the city. In the Sendagi area is a series of untrampled shrines and temples. Neighborhood homes have gracefully grown around the temples enhancing the spiritual feel of the neighborhood.
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You think you've seen every type of temple there is, then the last day before you head home you stumble across a temple like this, with these decorated statues, and continue to be amazed.
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I loved this neighborhood. Store front after store front looks like the images in the photos below.
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For additional Ueno photos see FLICKR ALBUM.