Tokyo is the sprawling capital of Japan, so large that it’s more like a prefecture than a unified entity, made up of 23 individual city-like wards which are similar to New York’s burroughs. Just as the various regions of Japan work hard to associate themselves with something interesting so tourists will have an excuse to go there — for example, there’s a town in Shizuoka famous for wasabi flavored soft-serve ice cream — different parts of Tokyo specialize in different kinds of products. Everyone knows that you can find anime goods and maid cafes in in Akihabara, as well as all the latest electronic goodies. The popularity of the rock band anime K-On! has brought a boom in musical instrument sales, with all the shops in Ochanomizu getting on the bandwagon. Looking for used books? Head to the Kanda area and you’ll find dozens of shops that Read or Die bibliophile Yomiko Readman would love, some selling books that are hundreds of years old. If Japanese dolls is your thing then Asakusa-bashi is where you want to go, and to browse interesting cookware, including knives, bowls and wax sushi replicas , then take the train to Kappa Kitchen Town in the Kappabashi region of Tokyo. There is even a section famous for ramen fans (Ogikubo), with many famous shops for you to explore next time you’re in Tokyo.
Find delicious-looking wax food replicas in Kappa Kitchen Town.
