Exploring Nihonbashi & Tokyo’s Brooklyn | Cafés, History & Style
Hello everyone! This is Mei😊 Today, we’re going to take a walk from Tokyo Station’s Yaesu Exit toward Nihonbashi. Before that, we’re heading for an early lunch. Here in the Yaesu Shopping Mall, there are plenty of restaurants to choose from. We chose this udon place we’d been curious about. Tamacho Honten Yaesu They serve Nagoya-style miso nikomi (simmered ) udon noodles. It’s one of the top 100 udon restaurants in Tokyo. The soup is really bubbling! I went for the plain miso nikomi udon. ¥1,309（US＄9） The soup looks salty, but it’s not — it’s full of umami and really delicious. The udon has just the right firmness. If you want to cool it down a bit, you can use the lid as a small plate. The soup contains egg and chicken. My husband, Naoto ordered miso nikomi udon with pork. ¥1,749（US＄11） It was such a delicious lunch! People have started lining up. Now, let’s head to Nihonbashi. It takes about 20 minutes to walk straight from Tokyo Station’s Yaesu Exit to Nihonbashi, where Mitsukoshi is located, but we’ll also make a stop in Kabutocho. Kabutocho is an up-and-coming area often compared to Brooklyn in New York. Daimaru Tokyo, right by the station, is known for its food hall full of beautiful sweets and bento boxes. Nihonbashi has flourished as a center of commerce and culture since the Edo period. It’s a town where tradition and modernity coexist. Tokyo Metro Nihonbashi Station Nihonbashi 3-chome Sakura Dori Street Nihombashi Takashimaya — Japan’s first department store designated as an Important Cultural Property. This building exudes history and elegance. What a beautiful bamboo art! I love department stores and hotel lobbies — they make me feel so luxurious. This is a manually operated elevator, controlled by an attendant. So retro! We’re on the rooftop. There’s a free space here — it’s nice to relax in such a historic building. There’s also a garden outside. Journal Standard Furniture on the 3rd floor of the new building. This store offers trendy items from Japan and abroad. I prefer woody scents over floral ones.♡ These are Mino-yaki pottery pieces. Mino-yaki is a traditional Japanese pottery style from Gifu Prefecture Handmade pottery is just so much better than mass-produced ones. What delicate shapes! What do you all see? To me, they look like leaves or petals. This vase would make a great decorative piece. Haribara was founded in 1806. It’s a historic stationery shop in Nihonbashi, known for its traditional Japanese paper and letter sets. Beautiful origami. This small drawer is carefully handcrafted by skilled artisans. The paper is so lovely. ¥4,400 ( US$29) These notebooks feature the cover design of Haibara Chiyogami. They are traditional Japanese patterned papers beloved for generations. ¥1,760 (US$12) These Chiyogami papers are traditional, yet they look very modern. ¥1,210 (US$8) ¥2,970 (US$19) What beautiful boxes！ What would you put inside? ¥1,980（US＄13） Perforated an each fold, it lets you separate the paper wherever you like. ¥550 (US＄4) This is a specialty shop from Shiga, next to Kyoto. Shiga is also known as the home of the Kōga ninja. It’s also famous for Omi beef. Shigaraki ware is also from Shiga. It’s truly a prefecture full of charm. Sake There’s a restaurant on the 2nd floor where you can enjoy dishes made with Omi beef. I bought this cha-mochi as a souvenir. Made with roasted Omi green tea and red bean paste It had a nice roasted flavor — so good!😊 Japanese Sake Tasting Set👍 Let’s take a short detour to Kabutocho, a historic area known as Japan’s Wall Street. He is Eiichi Shibusawa, on Japan’s banknotes, is known as the father of Japanese capitalism. With its renovated buildings, cafés, and art spaces, Kabutocho is now said to resemble Tokyo’s version of Brooklyn. Tokyo Metro, Kayabacho Station BANK is a renovated complex shop inside a former bank building. Bakery Bank Bistro Yen Coffeebar & Shop Coin, Flowers fēte Let’s go down to the basement. I love these ceramics with their subdued colors. This carrot cake looks so good. I read that it’s packed with spices and even has mango, which makes it extra moist and soft. It’s such a cozy space. I’d love to come here with my friends next time. I love bread, so let’s check out the bakery on the 1st floor. I’m going to try their most popular croissant. It’s crispy on the outside, and the dough has a rich buttery flavor with just the right amount of saltiness. KABEAT is a dining space where passionate producers and creative chefs come together. They offer seasonal dishes that transcend genres. Garden House Coffee This area has lots of stylish shops, so it’s really fun to explore.😊✨ When I had lunch at KABEAT before, I saw a restaurant with a long line. Let’s check it out. Hoppers is a Bib Gourmand restaurant serving Sri Lankan cuisine. Heiwa Doburoku Kabutocho Brewery They make doburoku, a traditional unfiltered Japanese sake. There are so many interesting shops here. Tokyo Stock Exchange This was the shop I was most excited to visit today… But… it’s closed for the day.😭 I came here on another day.😊 CASICA is a shop selling Asian antique tableware and kitchenware. Looking at woven baskets like these is so calming. This green is so lovely. It’s retro and cute. I wonder if this is a bowl for noodles. Look like art. I love the look and feel of these ceramics. The dishes here are so lovely, they make me want to travel around Asia. This shop has a restaurant inside. Another restaurant has been added to my bucket list. The restaurant’s name, Casica Hanten, is on these dishes. Just found another charming patisserie nearby! Look so good. This would make a lovely gift. I’ll definitely come back! K5 is a small micro complex, fully renovated from a 1923 annex of Japan’s first bank. It houses a hotel, café, izakaya, craft beer bar, and more. Kabutocho is fully revitalized, full of stylish shops blending old and new. Now, let’s take a break. This is Teal, a chocolate and ice cream shop. It is located in Nisshōkan, the former residence of Eiichi Shibusawa. What a beautiful cake! Cacao cake ¥1,078 (US$7)
Coffee ¥600 (US$4) My husband’s cake Western pear & Japanese chestnut Mont Blanc parfait ¥1,280 (US$8) It’s a very creamy cake with chocolate mousse and vanilla cream. It’s a refreshing Mont Blanc with pear — also creamy and delicious. It seems to contain shiso (Japanese perilla), but my husband said he didn’t notice it. Nihonbashi Bridge Nihonbashi is not only the name of a district in Tokyo, but also the name of an actual bridge. Above it looms an expressway, unfortunately spoiling the view of this beautiful bridge. Currently, construction is underway to move the expressway underground. This bridge, completed in 1911, is designated as an Important Cultural Property. It marks the starting point of Japan’s national roads. Tokyo Metoro, Mitsukoshimae Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi Main Store Let’s wander around a bit. There are many long-established shops around here, too. Yagicho Honten Yagicho Honten was founded in 1737. It sells ingredients essential for Japanese cuisine, such as kelp and dried bonito. I’ve tried the bonito crackers before — so tasty and highly recommended! This bonito rice ball is definitely delicious.! Can you believe they’ve been running this shop here for almost 300 years? Let’s stop by Mitsukoshi later. Yamamoto Noriten Honten Founded in 1849, it’s said to be the originator of flavored seaweed. This main store has been temporarily relocated to the area across from the Starbucks we saw earlier, due to a redevelopment project. Oh, it’s Kayanoya. This shop is famous for its dashi (Japanese soup stock) packets. I’ve given their dashi packets as a gift to a friend before. Tsuruya Yoshinobu It’s a long-established Japanese confectionery shop from Kyoto. These two shops are located in COREDO Muromachi 3. Let’s take a quick look inside. This is Kayanoya. It looks like you can sample their dashi broth here.
Ah, the fish-based dashi is so good! On the left is the Mitsui Main Building, a historic structure built in 1929. It’s Japan’s first multi-tenant office building designated as an Important Cultural Property. I wonder what the offices inside are like. COREDO Muromachi is a shopping and dining complex consisting of three buildings. This is COREDO Muromachi 1. Ninben Another 300-year-old shop specializing in katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). Kiya — a knife shop with over 200 years of history. It’s located in COREDO Muromachi 2. Nihonbashi Dashiba Hanare is a restaurant run by Ninben. It serves dishes that highlight the rich umami flavor of dashi. Imoho Imoya Kinjiro I love their sweet potato chips and often give them as small gifts to friends. Their imo kenpi (sweet potato sticks) are freshly made and delicious. Mandarin Oriental Tokyo Fukutoku Shrine This shrine has existed here for over 1,100 years. It was one of the few shrines officially allowed to issue tomi-kuji (lottery tickets). People visit to pray not only for lottery luck but also for winning concert and event tickets. This is a special area for praying for winning luck. People place lottery tickets, wallets, or smartphones here to pray for good luck in winning. Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi Main Store was founded in 1673 as a kimono shop. It later became Japan’s first department store. It’s wonderful. It reminded me of Gaudí’s Sagrada Família. Wooden sculpture: Magokoro (Spirit of Sincerity) The elaborate decorations are truly overwhelming. I’m a bit tired, so I think I’ll take a short tea break. I’ｍ back at COREDO Muromachi 3. Here’s the Kyoto confectionery shop I mentioned earlier, Tsuruya Yoshinobu. Here, artisans make traditional sweets right in front of you, and you can also enjoy matcha. Here’s a photo from when I visited with friends before. These were very beautiful and delicious traditional Japanese sweets. uRn. chAi & TeA This is a specialty chai shop on the 2nd floor of COREDO Muromachi 3. Chai is a spiced milk tea popular in India. Lately, I’ve been enjoying chai and even tried making it myself by buying the spices. Non-sweet chai ¥600 (US$4) I bought one sweet chai and one unsweetened chai to take home. I preferred the unsweetened one because I could really taste the spices. Thanks so much for watching! This channel shares local insights from Japan. If you enjoyed the video, please like, comment, and subscribe. Your “like” really encourage us! See you in the next video😊
Join us for a stroll from Tokyo Station to Nihonbashi and Kabutocho, known as Tokyo’s “Brooklyn.” Discover the charm of this vibrant, revitalized area, including historic shops, stylish cafés, beautiful department stores, stationery stores, and unique local specialties.
⏱Time Stamp
0:00 Opening
0:36 Tokyo Train Station Yaesu Side
0:52 Yaesu Shopping Mall, Tamacho Honten Yaesu (lunch)
2:26 Stroll in Nihonbashi, Tokyo
12:15 Detour to Kabutocho, Tokyo’s Brooklyn
22:15 Stroll in Nihonbashi, Tokyo
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