This article is based on visits made on Friday, 4 April 2014 and Sunday, 13 November 2016.
Ameya Yokocho (アメヤ横丁,
Ameya-yokochō, lit. 'Ameya alley'), or "Ameyoko" (アメ横) for short, is a market alley which runs beneath the train tracks in northeastern Tokyo. Specifically, it spans roughly 400 metres (1,300 feet) between Ueno Station at the north end and Okachimachi Station at the south.
So, how did this place get its name? Well, there are two theories, and both have to do with the role it played in Tokyo's post-World War II economy. The first is that it was named after the many candy shops, or
ame-ya (飴屋), which flourished in a time when sugar was hard to come by. The other claims it was named after America, spelled in Japanese as
Amerika (
アメリカ), since the sale of US Army surplus goods and other American products also rose back then. Based on the banner signs (above), only the northern half of the street is called "Ameya Yokocho" and the southern half is "Ameyoko", so both stories could be plausible.
A branch of the electronics department store Yodobashi Camera stands at the north end of Ameyoko. Lined up along the other side of the building was a massive row of Gashapon machines. For those who have no idea what
"Gashapon" (ガシャポン) or "Gachapon" (ガチャポン) is, it's a kind of vending machine which dispenses small toys encased in plastic capsules.
Due to its placement under the train tracks, Ameyoko is one of the few places in Tokyo which re-creates the hustle and bustle of other Asian cities. But not when I visited, apparently... The opening hours for the many businesses varies, but they tend to open between 10 and 11 AM, and close around 8 PM.
...That's more like it! As this picture can attest to, however, pedestrians may share the road with (slow-moving) automotive traffic, so some alertness would not go amiss.
The array of businesses set up in Ameyoko is vast, from grocery stores and other food markets like this fishmonger...
...to clothing and accessory shops, such as this luggage store where (on the upper-right corner) I spotted a few Beatles-themed suitcases!
There's even a place that sells military-themed clothes and goods, based on uniforms from many different countries. It's called Nakata Shoten, if you'd like to look it up
(Japanese)
Mid-way down, the path diverges into two. Ameyoko proper continues to the left; to the right is a separate street called Ue-chu (上中,
Uechū, lit. 'central Ueno'), which is a touch more upscale. Don't worry if you end up taking it instead; it runs roughly parallel to Ameyoko, and they both end not far from each other.
A close-up of the kappa statue at the centre of this junction. The video monitor up above makes this place almost feel like a miniature Times Square (emphasis on miniature).
And this is what you would find if you were to turn onto Ue-chu.
Meanwhile, Ameyoko has many side-alleys intersect and branch off from it.
This mural looms above the southern end of Ameyoko, depicting a surreal take on the area's usual market scene. ...Say, is that Weird Al Yankovic in the middle there?
And finally, we reach the southern end. Not a bad walk for hopping between two stations on the Yamanote line!
Access: To enter Ameya Yokocho via the northern end, the nearest station is Ueno (JR Yamanote
(JY), Keihin-Tohoku
(JK), Takasaki/Utsunomiya
(JU), Joban
(JJ), Tokyo Metro Ginza
(G) and Hibiya
(H) lines) station. From Tokyo Station, take the Yamanote or Keihin-Tohoku line to Ueno (JY05/JK30, 8 minutes, ¥160, JR Pass OK). The entrance to Ameya Yokocho is across the street from the Shinobazu exit.
To enter via the southern end, use one of the following stations, all bunched close together. Okachimachi (JR Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku lines) is the closest, followed by the Ueno-Hirokoji (Tokyo Metro Ginza line), Ueno-Okachimachi (Toei Oedo
(E) line), and Naka-Okachimachi (Tokyo Metro Hibiya line) subway stations. From Tokyo Station, take the Yamanote or Keihin-Tohoku line to Ueno (JY04/JK29, 8 minutes, ¥160, JR Pass OK). From JR's Okachimachi station, use the North exit.
