Jalan Jalan Japan : Ikebukuro Station and Ginza Station

Ginza Station

Tucked at the end of Ginza’s bustling shopping street is a toy emporium.
So now you know where to send the kids while you go shopping!

Ginza Hakuhinkan Toy Park
Address: Ginza 8-chome

When I arrived at Ginza, I found out that the Rice Gallery is no longer at Ginza Gas Hall Building(original location) and Kokusai Forum (second location).
I wanted to introduce this shop as rice is an important commodity to the Japanese. But my main aim was to check out the gift shop which sells rice-based skin care products. Throughout my trip I found that cosmetics made from food such as Sake, Soy Milk, Natto(fermented soybeans), Green Tea and other natural products are gaining in popularity and can be easily found in drug stores around Tokyo. A good place to start is at Nakameguro’s Drug Store next to station, which has a wide collection of such products. Lush inside Ikebukuro station also sells natural products.

If you are staying around JR Ikebukuro Station, you may want to check out these two shops inside the station. They are located diagonally from each other.
Verger A convenient location to pick up relatively cheap fruits:
(a make- shift vegetables and fruits stall which sells produce from farmers in the region) : http://www.e-verger.com/
I bought and hand carried home 16 peaches costing 1680 Yen! “So cheap!”
Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetic

Jalan Jalan Japan: JR Nippori Station - Yanaka Ginza, Senbei Shop, Pickle Shop

Take a step back in time by visiting Yanaka Ginza (谷中銀座), a quaint bustling shopping street with shops that are lined next to one another like people in a crowded MRT train! The street is made up of a mix of tenants such as Grocers, Hair dressers, Souvenir Shops, Restaurants etc. There’s enough excitement here to fill a shutterbug’s wishlist! As you are walking down the street, there are two traditional shops that you might want to check out:

1) Yanaka Senbei

This shop has a demonstration section and if you are lucky you might catch the chef in action. I love to buy snacks from traditional stores, don’t you? The 4th generation has taken over the business yet nothing has changed.

The most popular flavor among the locals and foreigners is still Katamaru which is made of soy. However two other flavours that are gaining in popularity is Zarame and Goma (Sugar coated Senbei and the other with black sesame)

Senbei - Japanese Rice Cracker it can be either salty or sweet.

谷中せんべい Yanaka Senbei
Address:
〒１１0－００01
東京都台東区谷中七－十八－十八
Tel:03-3821-6421

2) When I asked the owner whether she comes up with new flavours her reply was this is a traditional shop, therefore they do not come up with new flavours. But they have seasonal specialities: For summer they have a miso dip with soya beans that can be served as a dip for cucumber or on top of rice. In October their speciality is clams with soy sauce. The young lady boss told me that pickles go hand in hand with rice. Instead of sprinkling the dried flakes from Daiso on top of your rice, why not bring back the most popular item - Unagi in soya sauce - and serve it together with rice for a change? This 88 year old shop is diagonally located from the senbei shop.

Directions to Yanaka Ginza
Take the North Exit from JR Nippori Station, and walk straight for about 10-15 mins and you will reach Yanaka Ginza.