Jujo Ginza Shopping Arcade: Get a Taste of Local Tokyo Life!

Feel Like a Tokyo Native at Jujo Ginza Shopping Arcade

When it comes to Tokyo sightseeing, many imagine shopping areas filled with trendy stores or business districts with high-rise buildings. But that's just a slice of what this metropolis has to offer.

In some ways, people in Tokyo live similarly to residents from hundreds of years ago. Venture out from famous sightseeing spots and business districts to discover the local side of Tokyo.

People in residential areas often shop at a shotengai, or a shopping street. We'd love introduce to these pillars of community to anyone looking to learn more about Tokyo and Japan!

Jujo Ginza Shopping Arcade: Attracting Customers for Over 50 Years

This time, we’re going to Jujo Station along the JR Saikyo Line to visit a residential area in northern Tokyo. It can take from 5 to 25 minutes on a direct train, depending on whether you depart from Shibuya, Shinjuku, or Ikebukuro

Leave the station’s North Exit and you’ll see Jujo Ginza Shopping Arcade to your right.

Entering the arcade, you'll see a street lined with stores on both sides. These include restaurants, grocery stores, candy shops, supermarkets, 100-yen shops, and more!

Among them are delicatessens selling ready-to-eat meals. In this article, we'll be stopping by to taste what Jujo Ginza Shopping Arcade has to offer!

Before our walk, we met with Mr. Hiroshi Ishii, executive director of the Shopping Street Promotion Association. He shared the history of the shopping street and its roots in the community.

Jujo Ginza Shopping Arcade's history goes back 82 years! The Merchant Association was established in August 1938, and the arcade was officially formed in March 1977. Mr. Ishii explained, “In reality, the stores have been around for 100 years or more. This has long been a shopping area for residents.”

It’s been said that people moved here after the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 to open their own business.

As time passed by, so did the shops and locals.

The store with the longest history in the shopping street is Uosuzu, a fish market that has been in business for 50 years. Eventually, a small supermarket appeared on the shopping street. Later, 100-yen shops joined the storefronts. Some shops have been handed down for generations while others changed hands under new management.

These days, an increase in international residents has resulted in a diversity of customers frequenting Jujo Shopping Arcade daily to buy food.

Embark on a Walking Food Tour of Local Shops!
Without further ado, we’ll guide you on a walk through Jujo Ginza Shopping Arcade. It's famous for having ready-to-eat meals, side dishes, and other food at reasonable prices.

According to Executive Director Ishii, “A food tour is fun and easy way to experience Jujo Ginza’s charms.”

Meat Delica Shioya

Start from Jujo Station. Walk a little way along the arcade and you’ll see Meat Delica Shioya on your right.

This shop is famous for their deep-fried food. There's also an abundant selection of salads, roast beef, char siu pork, and bento lunch boxes. You can purchase quality cuts of meat to cook at home, too.

...... read the rest of the article on the MATCHA website:

https://matcha-jp.com/en/10319