Ameyoko Market

Ameyoko (アメ横) is a busy market street along the Yamanote Line tracks between Okachimachi and Ueno stations. The name “Ameyoko” is a short form for “Ameya Yokocho” (candy store alley), as candies were traditionally sold there. Alternatively, “Ame” also stands for “America”, because a lot of American products used to be available when the street was the site of a black market in the years following World War 2.

What to Find

Today, products such as clothes, bags, cosmetics, fresh fish, dried food and spices are sold along Ameyoko. The atmosphere is lively and chaotic — vendors shout prices, dried fish hangs in the open air, and the narrow lanes buzz with shoppers. It feels like a slice of old-school Tokyo commerce that has somehow survived modernization.

Fresh seafood stalls sell everything from whole tuna cuts to crab legs and uni. Street food vendors offer grilled meat skewers, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and kebabs that reflect the multicultural influence of the area. Several small bars and izakaya are tucked under the train tracks, creating a unique drinking atmosphere with trains rumbling overhead.

The side alleys branching off the main strip are worth exploring — they contain smaller specialty shops, discount cosmetics stores popular with tourists, and authentic ethnic restaurants.

Year-End Rush

Ameyoko is especially famous for its year-end market in the final days of December, when huge crowds descend to buy ingredients for New Year’s meals at steep discounts. Vendors slash prices on seafood, produce, and snacks in a frenzy that is a Tokyo tradition unto itself.

Getting There

The Ameyoko shopping street runs from Ueno to Okachimachi Station along the train tracks of the JR Yamanote Line and JR Keihin-Tohoku Line. It can also be accessed from Ueno-Okachimachi Station on the Oedo Subway Line.

Hours: Depend on individual stores, typically around 10:00–20:00. Closed: Many stores close on selected Wednesdays.