Tokyo Neighborhoods Vlog 🇯🇵 Grandma’s Harajuku, Ameyoko Shopping Street Food, Ueno, Japan Vlog 2025
Want to explore another side of Tokyo? This week we discover Tokyo’s retro neighborhoods: Sugamo and Ueno Okachimachi.
Popularly known as the ‘#harajuku for Grandmas,’ Sugamo is an old town Japanese neighborhood favored by Tokyo’s senior citizens. At its heart, the charming Sugamo Jizo-Dori Shopping Street is filled with businesses where seniors love to shop, eat and spend their afternoons.
Afterwards, we take the train to Ueno #okachimachi to visit the Ueno #ameyoko Shopping Street. Frequented by bargain hunters since its days as a black market during World War II, this busy neighborhood is filled with Japanese street food and a surprising amount of Japanese menswear shops.
Shot in November 2024
Here’s our list of what to do and where to eat next time you’re in these Tokyo neighobrhoods.
Things to Do and Where to Eat in Sugamo Tokyo:
Sugamo Jizodori Shopping Street 巣鴨地蔵通商店街
Sugamo Tokiwa Shokudo Main Store 巣鴨ときわ食堂 本店
Things to Do and Where to Eat in Ueno Okachimachi, Tokyo:
Nakata Shōten Ameyoko Shop 中田商店 アメ横店
Ueno Ameyoko Shopping Street 上野アメ横商店街
HINOYA
L.S.TOM
R/Q 寿司バル R/Q
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Sam — https://www.instagram.com/sampotenciano
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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:16 Tokyo Tower Park Walk
03:05 Sugamo Tokyo
03:42 Sugamo Jizo-Dori Shopping Street
06:42 Best Aji Fry in Tokyo
08:00 Harajuku for Grandmas
10:40 Sugamo Food
12:38 Ameyoko Shopping Street Food
14:05 Japanese Military Surplus Shop
15:48 Japanese Menswear Shopping
18:11 Ameyoko Shopping
20:56 Tokyo Sushi Dinner
22:12 Montbell Tokyo Shopping
36 Comments
Sugamo—what a tastefully unexpected pick!😘
On days that end in 4(4th,14th, and 24th of every month), the street fills with stalls for the temple fair,
and grandmothers flock there to visit Togenuki Jizou Temple and do some shopping. 🍘🍡🍮🍵🧉👕🧂👟🛍️
It gets as packed as Takeshita Street, which is why people call it the “Harajuku for grandmothers.”👵👵👵❤
私は時々ヒノヤで洋服を買います。スカジャンやハワイアンシャツも買いました。
I love your videos; they are really helpful. Thank you! Would your suggested streets fit into the same day's itinerary for Kichijoji and Ikebukuro?
aaaw I was hoping you got on the Tokyo Tram to Grandma's Harajuku Sugamo
Cheers Ralph and Sam really enjoyed watching this video definitely some great shops in theses areas,,,peace and happiness and safe travels ❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊
Hey ralph and sam, love your vlogs!!! So happy to see another one!! Also, what camera do you guys use at 12:35?
Can't wait to see more travel vlogs and thanks again for another wonderful upload
I love all your videos. I do. But I really really love when you engage with the shop owners! I feel like that is so important to show how so wonderful, how truly friendly Japanese people are. And the stories they probably can tell ❤ that watch store owner who buys direct from Arizona, you know he’s lived a life. thank you for gifting us these visits 💝 they are so special.
great video showing off some v.interesting + pleasant areas, I want to try all the food 😋 & that Puffer Kimono looked so cozy 😍
The red undies was very unexpected 😂 I also wonder what the story is behind it.
I’m definitely going to visit Sugamo when I’m going to Japan again after watching this. It looked like a really fun neighbourhood.
Loving the haircut Sam! Thank you for the vlog you two! Always vibey 🙌🏼
Lovely video both.🥰🥰
my fav couple! you always shows us hidden gems, the real life!
Was walking around Shibuya yesterday afternoon to evening on Saturday & it’s even more crowded now 😅…you can feel surge in tourism at Shibuya compared to back in 2022 and precovid days.. probably better to go weekdays unless you like lots of loud talking, long queue lines & close contact with strangers
Love your Japan vlogs!! You guys have a very apparent gift of creating calm and peaceful content.
メンチカツやアジフライ、もしかしてテーブルに置いてあるソース使わなかったんですか？
1:27 If modeling doesn't work out you can always try making YouTube videos. 😉
BTW, the denim in Japan is unmatched! I'm excited to check that part out when I visit again! What a fun video! Till next video! 😁
Love you guys but sweet potatoes aren’t “granny centric” in Japan, kids eat those too. 😂 But thank you so much for exploring the less trendy sites of Tokyo, your authenticity is lovely as always ❤
You are right about that area it always appears to be in its own little cosmos. I used to love taking my relatives to it. They took great delight in the area. Me it was just a bit too granny core. If you get my drift!
how do you find the good gachapon places? I need gachapon curation 😆
Was in ameyoko in June and watching this made me smile. Also loved seeing shibakoen bc we stayed near there too. Best vlogs on YT..
This is my favorite japan vlog forever! I will follow your way for the trip to Tokyo in this year. Less but much i love it❤
Another Hidden Gem by Sam and Ralph, definitely here for this! Love hearing your thoughts on this neighbourhood 💖🙏
控えめで落ち着いた佇まいが本当に好き
やはり落ち着いて楽しんで知識のある人は魅力的
Another nice video of Tokyo. In Ameyokocho, were you able to go to the underground international food market? Vendors sell all sorts of hard-to-find spices and sauces, they even sell turtles and snakes.
when you described those snacks as granny-centric…that tickled me 😆
Hi there, could you please recommend your gear to do vlog as I’m a beginner. I love your videos. Thank you 😊
Awesome Tokyo vid 💝😺
Lovely vlog ☺️ And you had great weather🌞!
09:44 👻🧐🤭😄😊
my favourite channel back at my favourite spot on earth :') always loving your videos!
thanks for the video~~~ have no chance to visit Sugamo yet but it seems fun~~~
Kimono puffy goes hard
I was there last November and will be coming back next week. I'm already trying to list down some places I could visit. Your vlogs were always helpful for my Japan trips
Last visited Sugamo in December 2019. Loved how the vibe was so down-to-earth and relaxed, and the locals as well as shopkeepers/business owners were eager to engage despite the language barrier. I even had my photo taken at the mural of the duck with the spilling trays of soba. Sugoi!
This just shows that ive explored 0.1% of Tokyo 🗼😂