Shotengai (Shopping Street)
"Shotengai are traditional covered shopping arcades found in every Tokyo neighborhood—long pedestrian streets lined with independent shops: butchers, fishmongers, tea shops, rice crackers, pharmacies, cheap croquette stands, and family-run restaurants. No chains, no tourists, just locals buying groceries and daily necessities. Famous examples: Nakano Broadway, Togoshi Ginza, Koenji. This is where real everyday Tokyo life happens, away from the tourist districts."
Logistics
Affordable
Vibe
Local, authentic
Duration
1-2 hours
Best For
Local experience
The Backstory
Shotengai emerged in the early 1900s as neighborhood commercial centers, peaking in the 1960s-70s before supermarkets and malls threatened them. Many survived by specializing or creating community events. They're now protected as cultural assets. Each shotengai reflects its neighborhood's character—Koenji's is punk and vintage, Togoshi Ginza is working-class and cheap.
Local Secret
"Visit shotengai in residential neighborhoods (not Shibuya/Shinjuku)—try Nakano Broadway (anime/manga subculture), Togoshi Ginza (longest in Tokyo, 1.3km, cheap food), or Koenji (vintage/punk). Go in late afternoon (4-6pm) when locals shop for dinner. Try cheap croquettes (¥100), taiyaki (fish-shaped cake), or mochi. It's a window into daily Tokyo life—no English, no tourists, just locals."