Wandering Fel

How to spend 30 minutes in Nakamise Street, Tokyo?

No food or drink sign at Nakamise Street Tokyo

Filled fried bun at Nakamise Street Tokyo Japan

Sakura filled fried bun from Nakamise Street Tokyo

Red bean manju from Nakamise Street Tokyo Japan

Strawberry mochi from Nakamise Street Tokyo Japan

Yummy strawberry red bean mochi from Nakamise Street Tokyo

Melon cream bun from Nakamise Street Tokyo Japan

Japan melon pan from Nakamise Street Tokyo Japan

Funawa Patisserie at Nakamise Street Tokyo

Making pancakes at Funawa Patisserie Nakamise Street Tokyo

Red bean sweet potato dorayaki from Funawa Patisserie Tokyo

Japanese wedding parade at Nakamise Street Tokyo

If you are visiting Tokyo with a tour group, chances are you will have an opportunity to visit Asakusa Temple and Nakamise Street. One thing to take note is that you probably will not have a lot of time to explore these two places and if you visit these two places on a weekend, oh boy, the challenge has become way higher because this area is packed with people. In order for us to go through the crowd until we reach Kaminarimon Gate, we had to spend around 15 minutes. And since we are only allocated 45 minutes in this whole area (oh yes, are you freaking kidding me), we have to move in an orderly planned manner.

After the tour guide let us roam freely, we quickly explored the alleys to enjoy some street food. If you think you can just eat while strolling like what you do in any kind of street food, you may have to remember not to do that here at Nakamise Street. Eating and drinking while strolling is completely against the rule of Nakamise Street. You can only eat or drink whatever you buy in front of the shop. Yikes, I suppose we have to chomp faster if we want to try as many food as possible here.

Considering that we had to queue before securing our food, being able to eat 5 kind of different food at Nakamise Street within 30 minutes is a satisfying result to be honest with you. However, I did give a feedback to the tour group about this crazy amount of short time given to us to explore the area. Oh well, I’m sure they are not going to do anything about it and it’s not like I’m gonna join another tour group if I’m coming back to Tokyo so yeah, whatever. From all the food shop that we visited within 30 minutes, the longest queue is gotta be at the whipped cream melonpan and Funawa Patisserie. Funawa Patisserie seems to be a famous sweet shop in Nakamise Street as its shop is huge and it even has its own eating area (i.e. a few tables where people can stand while eating their food).

There are actually a lot of shops selling souvenirs too but we totally had no time to even check them out in that kind of time limit so yeah, I hope I have the chance to revisit this street again in the future. But until then, I suppose I have just to be grateful to be able to catch a traditional Japanese cart carrying a couple in Japanese traditional wedding gown. Did they just really get married or is this just a parade for tourists? I can’t be sure but still, happy to be able to catch that. Haha.

8D Avia Japan Trip: Asakusa Temple and Nakamise Street, Tokyo

Kaminarimon Gate at Asakusa Temple in Tokyo Japan

Nakamise Street in front of Asakusa Temple in Tokyo

So I have finally decided to use my subliminal amount of leaves to go for 9 days 8 nights trip to Osaka. But when I think about Japan, I remember that I haven’t even finished updating my travel blog about my spring trip to Japan. Oh wait, that means I will be in Japan 2 times in a year, man, I should have gotten that multiple entries visa. But then, I only decided this trip like few days ago and you will need to have your air tickets ready for those two trips if you want to even try your chance to apply for multiple entries visa so yeah, that’s out I guess.

Actually my last write-up about Japan was right about when I was about to enter Tokyo from Mt Fuji. You know you have reached Tokyo when you can see the view of Tokyo Skytree from your window bus. However, a visit to the top of Tokyo Skytree is never in any tour group itineraries in Jakarta so the bus continues to bring us to Asakusa Temple. We were in Tokyo on a Sunday and if you are wondering how’s the weekend crowd is like at Nakamise Street, the street leading to the main gate of Asakusa Temple, you will see head and head of human trudging toward the same direction. In other words, be prepared to get...well, squeezed with some strangers along the way.

Our tour guide did not allow us to make detour or pit stop to buy food because she wanted to dismiss us right at Kaminarimon Gate, the main gate of Asakusa Temple. The main gate is actually pretty impressive but taking picture there without getting any photo-bomber in your picture needs superhuman skill. I did not even feel like trying, to be honest with you. However, if you are not intimidated by the crowd, you should give Kaminarimon Gate closer observation. The huge lantern is especially the famous landmark of Kaminarimon Gate and Asakusa Temple which seems to be the favourite photo-taking spot amongst tourists.

If you are joining a tour, I recommend not to spend too much time at Kaminarimon Gate because there are a lot of food street to explore at Nakamise Street and its neighboring alleys. The problem with enjoying food street at Nakamise Street is that you are not allowed to eat and drink while walking along the street. I’m not sure if there is police to watch over you and summon you fine if you are caught doing that, but I suppose it’s just polite to follow other country’s law and regulation when you are in one. That, and I suspect the food vendor may just scold you right there (especially if they are not youngsters) for eating and walking at the same time.

Wandering Fel

How to spend 30 minutes at Nakamise Street, Tokyo?

8D Avia Japan Trip: Asakusa Temple and Kaminarimon Gate, Tokyo