Asakusa Underground Street — Local services in Tokyo

Stepping into Asakusa Underground Street feels less like entering a shopping mall and more like stumbling through a hole in the city's memory. Forget the polished, bright chika-gai of Shibuya or Tokyo Station. This place is shitamachi, Tokyo distilled and preserved in a damp, low-ceilinged time capsule. ​It's one of Japan's oldest, and you can tell. The air has that specific, slightly musty smell of old concrete and cooking oil, with a perpetual, gentle sizzle coming from the legendary Fukuchan Yakisoba stand. The lighting is weak—just fluorescent tubes that make everything look a bit yellowed and slightly sinister, in the best possible way. The floors might even be a little slick, but that's just authenticity. ​You’re not going to find luxury brands or even chain coffee shops here. What you will find are tiny, grimy-beautiful spots: a classic, old-school barber still offering cheap cuts, a fortune teller tucked into a cubbyhole, little izakayas (pubs) with sticky counter tops, and a fantastic stand-up soba shop that locals actually use. It's a short, unglamorous tunnel, but every single inch is crammed with character. ​If you’re the type of traveler who gets bored with neon signs and wants to see a slice of post-war Showa-era Tokyo that’s still stubbornly breathing, this is it. It’s wonderfully rickety, a little confusing to find, and a necessary counterpoint to the tourist crowds swirling around the Sensoji Temple just above it. Don’t come for the shopping; come for the atmosphere. It’s...

Stepping back in time at the Asakusa Underground Street which is a hidden retro gem! We spent the weekend in Asakusa (always a favorite), but this time we made a point to check out something a little different, Asakusa Underground Street. While most people stick to the famous Nakamise Shopping Street and Senso-ji Temple, this underground spot feels like you’ve stumbled into a time machine.

A little history: Asakusa Underground Street (浅草地下街) is actually Tokyo’s oldest underground shopping street, dating back to the early 1950s. Long before today’s mega-modern shopping centers, this was where locals went to eat, drink, and shop after the post-war rebuilding. And walking through it now? You still feel that retro Showa-era vibe everywhere narrow passageways, old-school signs, tiny eateries, and shops that make you wonder if you should be ordering food or playing a scene from a 1960s yakuza film.

We wandered through, checked out some of the classic food spots, and soaked up the nostalgic atmosphere. It’s the kind of place where you half expect to see someone light up a cigarette while pouring sake for a regular customer (minus the smoking these days of course). Definitely not your typical modern Tokyo shopping scene and that’s exactly what makes it so cool.

If you’re in Asakusa, don’t miss the chance to venture underground and see a piece of old Tokyo still hanging on. Just watch your head in those low passageways they weren’t built for tall...

A lot of things can be found underground in Tokyo, so having a specifically-designated "underground shopping street" sounded intriguing to me; I do love places that are secret or hidden away. This is a bit more public (hell, there's a sign pointing you to it), but it's no less awesome for it: a series of shops, restaurants and pubs, tucked away under the street, nestled between the infrastructure that makes this city of cities tick, complete with wires, pipes, leaky plumbing and interesting aromas; the sound of lively chatter and pulse-pounding music from at least one dance club; racks of old VHS tapes and DVDs with aging, light-bleached covers; yeah, this place was made for me. This is my jam. Hopefully, it is yours as well.A lot of things can be found underground in Tokyo, so having a specifically-designated "underground shopping street" sounded intriguing to me; I do love places that are secret or hidden away. This is a bit more public (hell, there's a sign pointing you to it), but it's no less awesome for it: a series of shops, restaurants and pubs, tucked away under the street, nestled between the infrastructure that makes this city of cities tick, complete with wires, pipes, leaky plumbing and interesting aromas; the sound of lively chatter and pulse-pounding music from at least one dance club; racks of old VHS tapes and DVDs with aging, light-bleached covers; yeah, this place was made for me. This is my jam. Hopefully, it is...