If you like to buy kitchen tools, Kappabashi is just the place. There are many kitchen tools and food business related items sold in this street.
About Kappabashi
Kappabashi Kitchen Street (Japanese name is 道具街 literally translated (kitchen) utencil/ tool street) is located west of Asakusa’s main entertainment district, and just midway between Ueno and Asakusa.
Kappabashi area began around 1912, selling old tools and a wide range of utencils and hardware. Today, you can find almost every kind of restaurant equipment imaginable. This 800 m (nearly a half-mile) street has over 170 shops and is Japan’s largest shopping street devoted to kitchen and restaurants related supplies and tools. It is fun to walk up and down the street if you love to cook. In the beginning, shops in the street sold only for professional chefs and businesses. Today, almost all the shops sell to individual customers.
What kind of things are sold in Kappabashi?
Confectionery and bakery equipment, Japanese, Western, and Chinese tableware, china, laquerware, restaurant equipment, packaging, containers, decorative goods, food samples, chefs’ coats, signs, noren (shop curtains), bamboo wares, baking ingredients, food and beverage ingredients, confectionary wholesalers, Japanese furniture, Western furniture, kitchen equipment, refrigerators and refrigerated showcases, showcases, displays, shop design and construction services, and anything related to food business.
Some of the popular shops among overseas visitors
General: Niimi — Landmark of Kappabashi Street. The shop has a huge chef on top of the building. (The chef is modeled after 2nd president of the shop) They sell wide variety of items including dishes, glasses to pans, pots, and kitchen tools
Kitchen tools: Iidaya — often appear on TV with kitchen tools that are innovative.
Kitchen knives: Kamata Hakensha — they can engrave your name (in Japanese “katakana” or in “kanji”) on the spot.
Food samples: Tokyo Biken, Sato Food Samples, Sample-ya — sells real samples as well as sourvenirs such as food sample magnets, key chains and more.
Japanese dishes and wares: Dengama — has many Japanese style dishes and wares.
Confectionery Bread Baking supplies: majimaya has many cookie cutters in the center of the shop.
Coffee: Union — has many coffee related items such as coffee mills, kettles, water drippers and etc. If you are a coffee lover, it’s worth visiting. Across the street, they have coffee roastery where you can buy coffee beans.
Are there tax free shops?
Not all the shops are tax free shops. Look for the tax free sticker near the cashier. If you don’t see the sticker, ask the staff if they do tax free. Unlike Donki or Uniqlo, they will not deduct tax at the casher. Instead, each shop will give you a document (at the first purchase, they will give you a paper file) and receipt at each tax free shops. You will take the whole thing (receipts, documents and the purchase) to tax-free counter in the street. (map is shown at the paper file) You will need to show your passport (original passport, not a copy) to have your tax refunded. They will refund in Japanese yen.
Access
5 min form Tawaramachi (G18) Tokyo Metro Ginza Line
6 min walk from Iriya Station (H19) Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line
13 min walk from Asakusa (A18) Toei Asakusa Line
15 min walk from JR Ueno Station
What does the name come from?
There are actually two theories about the origin of the name: the first is that the area around here was once the residence of a feudal lord. Lower samurai and foot soldiers made raincoats (used to be called kappa in Japanese) on the side job and hung raincoats (kappa) all over a nearby bridge to dry on sunny days.
The other theory is the “Kappa (Japanese imaginary creature)” theory. Kappa are believed to live by river and has turtle like shell on its back. There is a story of Kihachi Kappaya, a raincoat shop owner. About 180 years ago, Kihachi was concerned about the poor drainage in the area because the area was quickly flooded with a little rain. He spent his fortune to start digging a ditch. The Kappa that lived in nearby Sumida River, saw the slow progress of the construction, was moved by good deed and helped him with the construction work night after night. For some reason, people who saw the kappa were blessed with good fortune, and business prosperity.
You will see signs in shape of Kappa all around the street. There is also a golden statue of Kappa in the middle of shopping street.
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