Yanaka Ginza

A retro shopping street full of cat-themed stores, near Nippori Station

Yanaka Ginza is a street near Nippori station that is known for its cat-themed stores. It’s not that big, but if you like cats, it’s like… ❤️ 🐱 ❤️ 🐈 ❤️ 

You probably won’t see a lot of stray cats, but you’re sure to see a lot of cute cat merchandise and cat-lovers eyeing it. I went on a weekend, so that might’ve been a bad choice. You might want to try a weekday, when it should have fewer tourists and perhaps a cat or two. 

Here’s a few of my favorites I saw down the street. 

Neko Action

“No Cat, No Life.” One of the first shops you’ll find on the street, Neko Action sells a lot of cat stuff. If you’re lucky, you’ll find their store mascot, an orange tabby, sleeping in a little basket near the door. The merchandise is very cute. Worth looking.

Shinimonogurui

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There’s a hanko (name stamp) store that sells cat-themed ones. You use these stamps like a signature, like when you give a signature for confirmation for a delivery you received. But these, of course, have cute cartoon cats. Make your official documents twice as fun. 

Tatakau T-Shirt Store Ito

While you’re here, check out the t-shirt shop attached to it. It’s kind of part of the same shop, since the cartoon style is similar, but they sell adorable t-shirts of cats doing human-like things. I love the name of this store — “The Fighting T-Shirt.” Japanese humor at its best. 

Yanaka Shippoya

Further down, there’s a little shop that sells “cat tail donuts.” They call themselves the “Yanaka Tail Store.” It’s one of the cute street foods you can try in this area, or take some home for your friends and family.

I got the “Tora” flavor, their most popular one. It was chocolate and maybe vanilla, with a little bit of cream inside.

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There’s a bunch of other street food but I was pretty full after the cat tail. Maybe next time, I’ll try Waguriya, famous for its chestnut-flavor sweets.

A nice stroll with adorable stores

Overall, Yanaka Ginza is a fun little street, not so big that you get tired, and with enough cat-themed things to keep you entertained. If you’re near Nippori, it’s a fun place to check out.

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