Kappabashi Street

Kappabashi Dogu Gai or the Kappa-bashi Cooking Tools District is a shopping district that stretches around 800 meters from north to south between the Asakusa and Ueno areas. It originated from the merchant stalls trading secondhand tools on both sides of the Shinbori-gawa River in the early Taisho era (1912-1926). Around the same time as the reconstruction efforts were being made following the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, food-related stores began gathering around the Kappa-bashi area, particularly those selling confectionery tools. The area developed into a specialized shopping district where stores in various industries that meet the needs of the time for the food and drink industry are gathered. Currently, around 170 stores in a variety of fields are operating. From cooking tools and tableware to kitchen equipment and baking supplies, many tools are being sold. In the center of the shopping district, a gold-leafed bronze “Kawataro the kappa” (the literal translation of kappa is a river boy, an imaginary figure in folklore) statue looks up at the sky and prays for a thriving business. The district is a five-minute walk from the Tawaramachi Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line or a six-minute walk from the Iriya Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line.