Ameya-Yokocho (also known as “Ameyoko”) is an open-air market in Taito ward right next to Ueno Station.
And one of the things people will notice of how it has an international flair, reminding me of Shinuku’s Okubu-dori (or Shin-Okubo) and a mix of clothing shops, restaurants, candy shops and more. But it also has a traditional vibe that reminds me of Tsukiji, in a classic sense.
The location has 400 shops and there are theories of where the name “Ameya Yokocho” comes from. Some think that during the end of the war and sugar was hard to obtain, many would come to the area for candy. Another rumor is that there were shops selling sweet potatoes. And the other is that many shops sold goods from US Army.
There is no doubt that candy is a big part of Ameya Yokocho. Many dealers were giving insane deals on the candy and seafood. But the place also sells many luxury watches and cosmetics which attract people. There was concern in the Showa era of fake items being sold, but now the products sold at Ameya Yokocho are genuine products.
But the location was once a residential area, but many people were evacuated from buildings due to the air raids during World War II. But the surrounding areas were scorched due tot he Air Raids and many people brought stalls to sell needed goods unfortunately for 10x the amount it originally cost. And a lot of these sellers didn’t have a sellers permit and so, the place once had a reputation and was called “Shark City”.
Things were so bad during the post-war that many organized crime that led to numerous gun incidents during the daytime and it was a challenge for US Military Police and normal police.
By 1946, a businessman named Hirokichi Kondo changed the area by building a market with 80 shops and the area changed for the best.
By the ’80s, the location became popular for Korean and Chinese residents and the population of Chinese business owners and visitors would increase throughout the ’90s.
By the 2000’s, many stores and boutiques owned by African and Asian owners rose and foreign business owners increased the presence of foreigner-owned shops by 10% (40 shops) and they all are part of the Ameyoko Shopping Federation and also pay membership fees. But as some have concern of the growing population of foreign-owners, the association supported change and the integration of miscellaneous shops to Ameyoko.
