nakamise asakusa tokyo

the 250-meter long line of shops in Nakamise back in the past, could be compared to Quiapo's Carriedo on a Friday. evolved from year's of devastation and restoration remained to be one of Japan's oldest shopping centers.
tracing back its history, the shops here were established as early as 1688 in line with the volume of people visiting Sensoji temple. now partly covered and beautifully renovated with 89 permanent shops of finger foods and colorful souvenirs mostly handcrafted.
before leaving Manila, i had the chance to talk to a family friend who often visit Japan. i asked what she would recommend me to see around Tokyo and showed me their video of Nakamise and i was immediately convinced to include it on top of my itinerary.
there is a great mix of shops thus gathering a big volume of tourists and even old Japanese locals who would visit the place and try out those tasty finger food. mostly served fresh and hot, others packed in colorful boxes, something that is usual to Japan.the long walk before reaching Sensoji Temple also leads to some special shops of items which reminded of the area of what it used to be, Tokyo's entertainment center. items here may be relatively cheap but not when you compare it with the other Asian street markets.the electric signboards and small lanterns on the whole stretch gives you a great reason to try visiting it by night. shops here are usually open from 10:00am till 8:00pm. i highly recommend this place.
how to get there:
most convenient way would be by train, just take any line that passes by Asakusa station.

location:
island: Honshu
region: Kanto

prefecture: Tokyo

escape factor:
historical background: 4.0
cultural value: 4.5
accessibility: 4.0
food: 4.5
shops: 4.5

overall escape factor: 4.5

GPS location

35^ 42' 40" N

139^ 47' 47" E