Ameya-Yokochō Audio Guide

Ameya-Yokochō: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Ameya-Yokochō

   Welcome to Ameya-Yokochō, written in Japanese as アメヤ横丁 and meaning "Ameya alley." Locals and visitors usually shorten it to Ameyoko. It is an open-air market in Taito Ward, in the northeastern part of central Tokyo, and it sits right beside Ueno Station. A quick word on what this guide covers. The detailed history of individual stalls and shops here is not something I will go into. What I can give you with confidence is the market's setting and the story of the neighborhood around it: the ward it belongs to, the old Tokyo character of its streets, and the hillside of Ueno next door. Think of it as the backdrop that makes the market make sense. Let's start by getting our bearings.

2. 02

   Ameya-Yokochō: An Open-Air Market Beside the Station

   The first thing to grasp about Ameya-Yokochō is how it is built: it is an open-air market, not a mall or a single building. It sits next to Ueno Station, and its start is easy to place, because it begins just behind the Yodobashi Camera building. The market covers roughly 15,257 square meters, about 164,227 square feet. That is a lot of ground to pack with stalls and passageways, and it explains why the name means "alley" even though this is a whole district of them. The shortened name, Ameyoko, is the one you will hear most in everyday conversation. As you walk in, notice how the market sits so close to a major railway hub. A market tucked against a station is a classic piece of Tokyo urban life.

3. 03

   Ameya-Yokochō and the Spirit of Taito

   Ameya-Yokochō belongs to Taito, and Taito is a ward of surprises. Its area is only 10.11 square kilometers, which makes it the smallest of Tokyo's special wards, yet it is celebrated for how much it holds. Ameyoko is named among its landmarks, alongside the Asakusa Nakamise shopping street and Hanayashiki Amusement Park. The ward is famous for its typical Shitamachi districts, the old downtown quarters of Tokyo. It was founded on March 15, 1947, when the former Asakusa and Shitaya wards merged as Tokyo City became the Tokyo Metropolis. Taito has long drawn craftsmen and merchants, so a lively open-air market here fits the character of the whole area.

4. 04

   Ameya-Yokochō and the Hill of Ueno

   Step back from the stalls and think about Ueno itself. Just beside the market area lies Ueno Park, which was once the precincts of Kan-eiji Temple, the family temple of the Tokugawa shoguns. It opened as a public park in 1876. Today the Ueno area is a cultural center with many museums, which makes a striking contrast with the market's everyday bustle. A short distance away in Ikenohata stands the former Iwasaki residence, built in 1896 for the industrialist Iwasaki Hisaya and designed by the English architect Josiah Conder. It has a Western wing for social events and a Japanese wing for living. Its Western wing and poolroom were designated important cultural assets in 1961. Between shogunal temple grounds, Meiji mansions and a market beside the station, this one corner of Tokyo shows several layers of the city at once.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off from Ameya-Yokochō

   Getting here and leaving again is simple. Ueno Station, right beside the market, is served by the Yamanote Line and the Keihin-Tohoku Line, and Okachimachi Station on the same lines is another handy neighbor. Trains on the Joban Line also mostly start and finish at Ueno. As you wander back out, try noticing how the market's open-air layout meets the station and the streets of Taito around it. Then let your curiosity run uphill toward Ueno Park and its museums, or toward the old Shitamachi streets of the ward. There is much more of this corner of Tokyo waiting for you to follow.