Sunamachi Ginza is a local shopping street full of life and energy, where local people buy fresh food, drinks and daily necessities at reasonable prices. On this tour, you will explore the streets with our local guides. You can enjoy Japanese food such as yakitori (grilled chicken on skewers) and oden (fishcakes, eggs or radish cooked in a savory broth) at food stalls, or take away various kinds of homemade sozai (prepared foods). Or how about trying on a happi coat at a kimono fabrics shop? You may find a good souvenir there, such as a furoshiki wrapping cloth with a Mt. Fuji design. And while you are at it, enjoy talking with the friendly shopkeepers.

You can learn about Japanese foods, lifestyles and so forth from our guides. You will feel as if you were walking with local friends during the tour.

Ginza is the most famous shopping district in Japan featuring expensive brand names. But, what is Sunamachi Ginza? It might not appear in your guidebook. Situated in Koto City, Sunamachi Ginza is a 670-meter-long shopping street with 80 years history, lined with about 180 shops. It preserves the vibrant atmosphere of an old shotengai, which is why we think it is worth visiting. What is a shotengai then? Shotengai refers to a traditional Japanese shopping street, where family-run shops meet the demands of people living nearby. The distance between shops and customers is short, so it gives a true picture of ordinary everyday life. Nowadays throughout Japan, many shotengai are declining, and their lively and intimate atmosphere is disappearing, because small shops there find it difficult to compete with big shopping centers. Sunamachi Ginza is a rare example of a shotengai that is not only surviving, but thriving, a place where you will find not only delicious food but also get a taste of good old Japan.