BEST 3 Spots for Eating Tour and Souvenir Hunting in Asakusa’s Nakamise-dori Street

Kinkato (Japanese sugar craft) is a traditional confectionery that began in the Edo period. Mannendo Denpoin Shop’s artisans are the only ones in Tokyo that have inherited the techniques in creating confectionery with just sugar and water. This shop sells konpeito (small sugar candy ball with prongs) (345 JPY each, left in the photo), beautiful red and white maneki-neko (beckoning cat) (1,080 JPY, right in the photo) made by hand by artisans, and many other tasty treats. Here, many kinkato variants come shaped like cats or sea bream, and they are quite popular as gifts and souvenirs, too.

Kokonoe is the third shop from Sensoji. At this shop, manju (steamed yeast bun with filling) with the right level of sweetness is fried to a crisp right in front of your eyes, and they won’t mind if you buy just one piece. You can choose from a variety of manju at this store, including the Matcha Agemanju (170 JPY per piece, left in the photo) and Monja Agemanju (170 JPY per piece, right in the photo).

Kimuraya Main Shop, the first shop selling ningyo-yaki (literally “baked dolls,” a sponge cake filled with bean paste and then formed into various shapes) in Nakamise that was opened in 1868, is a small store found at the corner of Nakamise-dori road that is closest to the Kannon (deity of mercy) statue at Sensoji. Many of its Ganso Ningyo-yaki (prices start at 300 JPY) delicacies that are shaped as five-storied pagoda, the god of thunder, lanterns, and pigeons were originally concocted by the founder based on the famous spots in Asakusa. Enjoy the traditional taste and shapes of the baked cakes here.