Ameya Yokocho

In short

Ameya Yokocho is a shopping street where over 400 shops line about 500 meters along the JR railway tracks between JR Ueno Station and JR Okachimachi Station, widely known by the nickname Ameyoko. It originated as a black market formed after World War II. Its name is said to derive from stalls selling candy (ame) and shops selling surplus goods from the US military.

• ​Hawking and Bargain Sales​​: Lively calls from vendors fill the air, and year-end discount selling is a seasonal tradition.
• ​Specialty Shops​​: Most shops focus on specific merchandise, such as sunglasses or jeans.
• ​Marishiten Tokudai-ji Temple​​: A Nichiren sect temple located within Ameyoko, founded during the Kanei era in the early Edo period.

History and Highlights

​Ameya Yokocho​ is a shopping street where over 400 shops line about 500 meters along the JR railway tracks between JR Ueno Station and JR Okachimachi Station, commonly known as Ameyoko. It consists of the main "Ameyoko Street" as well as malls and plazas located beneath the elevated JR tracks.

Its history began as a black market formed after World War II, a time when supplies were completely depleted. While many black markets were controlled by tekiya (itinerant stall operators), at Ameyoko, demobilized soldiers returning from Manchuria formed a cooperative association to regulate the opening of stalls and develop the shopping street.

At the black market just south of JR Ueno Station, during a period when sugar was difficult to obtain, there were stalls selling candies made from sweet potatoes, and it came to be called "Ameya Yokocho" (Candy Shop Alley). Merchants from the Tohoku region used money earned from selling goods in Ueno to buy candy, which they took back home and resold for three to four times what they had paid. Meanwhile, near JR Okachimachi Station, shops opened selling surplus goods from the US military, earning the area the name "America Yokocho" (American Alley). It is said that these two areas merged to become today's "Ameyoko."

Viewing and Experience Points

• ​Hawking and Bargain Sales​​: Amid the lively hawking calls, you can look for featured products and bargains while enjoying conversations with the shop staff. The year-end discount selling is a seasonal tradition, and the year-end crowds of shoppers from all over Tokyo are a tradition dating back to the 1970s.
• ​Specialty Shops and Commercial Customs​​: A wide variety of shops line the street, selling food items like seafood, imported goods, apparel, and cosmetics. Most stores focus on specific products, such as sunglasses, jeans, belts, or military surplus items. Traditional business customs, such as allowing price haggling and offering free bonus items, are also characteristic features.
• ​Marishiten Tokudai-ji Temple​​: A Nichiren sect temple located inside Ameyoko, founded during the Kanei era at the beginning of the Edo period. Although it lost its temple buildings twice due to the Great Kanto Earthquake and war damage, it remained on this site and fully reconstructed the temple complex in 1964 (Showa 39). The framed calligraphy plaque "Iko-den" on the front of the main hall was brushed by former Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru.

Tips for Exploring

The street is just steps away from the Shinobazu Exit of JR Ueno Station or the North Exit of JR Okachimachi Station. The entrance signage reads "Ameyoko" on the Okachimachi Station side and "Ameya Yokocho" on the Ueno Station side. Walking from the Okachimachi side toward Ueno allows you to stop by Marishiten Tokudai-ji Temple along the way. Many food stalls are also set up. Business hours vary by shop. You can also walk to Ueno Park about 450 meters to the north, Shinobazu Pond about 390 meters to the northwest, and Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Gardens about 630 meters to the west.