After visiting the Senso-Ji Temple at night the day before, viewing the temple's lovely illumination, we went back to the temple complex the next day. However, this time we hit the Nakamise-Dori; said to be one of the oldest shopping centers in Japan.
Nakamise is a shopping lane that extends for about 250 meters from Kaminarimon Gate to Hozomon Gate, with stalls selling ningyoyaki (a baked confection with a thin skin filled with a rich bean jam), handmade rice crackers, crafts of Shitamachi old town and other (touristy) souvenirs,
Approaching the Kaminarimon Gate, which is one of the entrance leading to Sensoji Temple (and Nakamise-dori); one can see these rickshaw pullers looking out for potential customers. They are cheerful and energetic bunch. :-)
A shichimi (seven flavour chilli pepper) seller, selling his ware near the Kaminarimon Gate.
Nakamise-Dori on a Sunday. If you hate crowds, avoid this shopping street on weekends and public holidays at all cost. The street will be jam packed with tourists!
Plenty of souvenirs can be found here, even an Obama mask! Truthfully, for me I didn't buy much souvenirs here but we always find time to walk around the area whenever we are holidaying in Tokyo.
A rickshaw puller with his customers. These rickshaw will take you around the area and stopping at choice spots and the pullers will give a detailed explanation about the area. Not too sure whether any of the rickshaw pullers are conversant in English though.
For me, the rickshaws and the people pulling them are good for the tourism market of the area so I find it disheartening when I heard a disparaging remark from a fellow tourist (who come from similar region as mine) made to his daughter. He was saying stuff like "If you don't study hard, you'll end up like those people and pull rickshaw" and how those people didn't do much studying at school and nonsense like that. Hello! What's wrong with people earning an honest living and what makes you think you are so good anyway? There's nothing wrong about wanting the best for your child and pushing them so, but does one have to look down on people who chose not to sit in office 9 to 5?
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