Tokyo old fashioned town, “Kuramae” comes from the fact that during the Edo period there was a rice granary in this land. An old fashioned town in which you can feel the Edo atmosphere that had been left in the old fashion street, we will be introducing Kuramae this time.

First, is the Yamagata Shoten in front of the station

This is a traditional shop that handles fireworks, and sells them also on the internet. Other than the incense fireworks that is a necessity during Japan summers, but also they handle cute retro toys as well. Next summer will be exciting!

Just by walking in Kuramae you will come across stores like this that sell retro toys.
A lot of toys that are sold at stands at summer festivals are sold here. Although it is already fall you can still feel the summer festival scenes. It is very colorful and cute. It was a dream world in which children would be very happy by just taking a peak!

On our way, we found a book store. It had its very own atmosphere and stopped our eyes.
This book store probably had watched over Kuramae’s changes.

After walking a while, we arrive at the Kuramae shrine. This shrine has been the staging for several Rakugo, and one of them the “Motoinu” is famous; there is a statue there.

This “motoinu” is, a funny story in which that the white dog that had been familiarized among the precincts of the shrine becomes a human being. In 2010 it was placed at the Reidai festival, and this shrine seems to be popular for the Rakugo fans.

Here is the Anbika shop that hands mainly specialty ingredients from Indian foods. Spices and fresh juices from India, and also goods chosen specifically by the staff are imported and sold; you can constantly buy high quality ingredients here. Also if you ask how to cook they will teach you nicely as well. It is very convenient when you want to serve a small fashionable dish at home parties!

Across from this Anbika shop, we discovered a retro furniture store.

There was a lot of cute furniture that had a used look. In the window there were a lot of colorful cups being displayed, and stopped our eyes before we knew it. It seems like you could collect all fashionable interior items here.

Here it may not look different than any other building, but it is a designer school of Taito designer college. It is using an abandoned elementary school itself, and it is made possible to move in as well. It would be nice if famous designers to go all over the world to be born here. They frequently display, sell, and hold events, so please visit here to see fashionable things.

On our way to the station we discovered a bakery on a wagon.

Could it be that this is famous for those who live nearby, there were many mothers with their children buying bread.

We also, bought the Kinako bread we were recommended by the young man.
The gentle and easy to talk to man could also be the secret to their popularity.
With the Kinako there was cinnamon also mixed in so although it was a Japanese style you could also feel a bit of a western style, it was very delicious bread! If we come across this again we may want to repeat again. It was very nice to run into this at the end of our stroll.

Our Kuramae coverage ends here. If we think that the Edo old fashioned scenery is being left, it is also a place in which new designers are being born; it was a town in which new things were being integrated while protecting its old traditional cultures and a warm atmosphere could be felt. Please take a stroll while enjoying the old fashioned atmosphere. You may come across something new.