Ueno, Tokyo

Pandas. The Ueno Zoo has some pandas they received from China, and they’re the talk of the town. If you need to find gifts for friends or family, you’ll find plenty of panda-themed goodies here. 

Ueno is also famous for its massive Ueno Park, which includes the Tokyo National Museum, the oldest national museum in Japan. Aside from that, you’ll find street performers, art galleries, and the Shinobazu Lake, famous for its beautiful lotus flowers. There’s also the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, and the National Museum of Nature and Science – plenty of indoor attractions for a rainy day.

Ameyoko is an open-air market located along the tracks of the Yamanote line between Ueno and Okachimachi stations. The name is short for Ameya Yokocho (candy store alley) as candies used to be sold there. Nowadays it’s a bustling shopping area with a vast range of products like fresh foods, dried food, medicine, fashion goods, cosmetics, and snacks. A great place to go for all your souvenir needs. For expats, it’s also a great place to purchase foreign ingredients that are difficult to find in typical japanese markets.  You can still find popular candy shops such as Niki No Kashi which specializes in cool local snacks from different prefectures of Japan.