Amioko, food, clothing, and a whole kaleidoscope of other stuff, all at bargain prices.

We zoom in on a shopping spot that's popular with foreign visitors and locals alike.

My Private Tokyo.

Each time a foreign resident shares some favorite locations and great things to do, this time Shin-Nakano.

And today in the studio we have John Dobb, how are you doing John?

Fine, thank you very much.

Now John, you've done the subbing for us for My Private Tokyo, it's the first time for you to be in the studio.

So tell us about yourself.

Well, my name is John Dobb, I'm from New York originally, and I've been living in Tokyo for about five years now.

So John, you're going to take us to Amioko today.

That's right.

Here we have on the map, Amioko is located between Ueno Station and Okachimachi, which is very close to Tokyo Station and Asakusa Station, with Sensoji, so it's really convenient for foreign travelers to visit.

Absolutely.

Yeah, I went there with Joanna.

Joanna?

Uh-huh.

Where is she today?

Ah, well she's a bit of a traveler, she's somewhere in Japan right about now, maybe Kyoto.

Kyoto, I see.

Actually, I took Joanna there for the first time.

And this show is made for all of you that haven't been there before, too.

Let's take a look.

Amioko is packed with shoppers every day.

It attracts 70,000 customers on a weekday, and 200,000 on a Saturday or Sunday.

Food, clothing, and all sorts of other items are sold in this jumble of shops jostling for space along Amioko.

The street has become a must-see for foreign tourists.

More and more of them are coming these days.

Amioko runs alongside the tracks from Ueno to the next station, Okachimachi.

About 500 meters from end to end, it's packed with over 500 shops.

So Joanna, do you know what Amioko is famous for?

I don't know, but I think you're going to tell me.

That's right.

It's famous for discounts and bargains.

Well, that sounds right up my street.

Yeah, it's full of energy, there's lots of people, and you can find everything under the sun here.

And more, possibly.

Possibly.

Oh!

This is even cheaper.

This is cheap.

I love this place. It's a bargain place.

It's like bargain paradise.

No recommended retail price is in Amioko.

One more time!

One more time!

One more time!

One more time!

One more time!

One more time! Here you go.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

What did you get inside?

I mean, it's a lot better.

Look, we've got some kind of biscuits, which are delicious.

Lots of Belgian chocolate, which is fabulous, of course.

Do you like this shop?

I love it.

I didn't think I'd get anything like this.

How was Amioko?

It was interesting.

Everything was cheap.

What?

And here, you're expected to haggle.

That makes Amioko even more entertaining.

Look at this, guys.

We've got our tomatoes, our figs, and our goji berries, all for 1,000 yen. 1,000 yen!

Amioko, it's really a shopping paradise.

Yeah, two for me, one for you.

Tokyo was destroyed by World War II air raids.

In the post-war chaos, black markets appeared all over the city.

Amioko was one of them.

Three years after the war, the area beside the tracks got a new start as the Amioko shopping street.

Still so many shops to see.

Oh!

This shop is really old.

It looks old.

I wonder what kind of shop it is.

Konnichiwa!

This shop sells Katsuobushi, which has long been a staple of Japanese cuisine.

Katsuobushi is dried skipjack tuna.

At this shop, it is made using a process handed down from the Edo period.

It's really hard.

It sounds like wood.

It sounds like some sort of wooden instrument or something like that.

And it's almost like covered in a powder.

Should we knock it together?

Listen, listen.

Oh, beautiful music.

Wow.

It looks like a piece of wood, but it gives off a really fantastic aroma.

It's almost like a precious stone in a way.

So shiny.

That's right.

It's like a petrified fish.

Katsuobushi is normally prepared just before it is used.

You use the shavings to make stock or to flavor dishes.

Wow.

Looks like wood clippings.

Oh!

Very good!

It tastes like fish!

If you want fresh shavings, the shop will make them while you wait.

These women stopped at the shop for a quick tea break.

You guys look absolutely beautiful!

Thank you.

Oh, you look gorgeous!

Beautiful kimono.

What did you buy today?

Today, I bought...

Oh, you bought something?

Sesame.

Sesame.

Sesame. Gold gold. Gold sesame.

Wow!

This is big!

Peanut butter.

Traditional Japanese food.

Ameyoko has a lot of food stalls.

They're ideal for grabbing a snack while you shop.

It's delicious!

Let's try something on a stick here.

I'll try the green melon, please.

Green melon!

Oh my god!

For the strawberry!

Strawberry!

Got it?

Yes.

Itadakimasu!

This is the most healthy kind of fast food.

This is Ameyoko.

Food on a stick.

Yum yum yum.

This shop is selling some big round hot things.

Batter balls, 8 centimeters across, stuffed with mushrooms, egg, and 8 other ingredients. 350 yen each.

I thought that was very reasonable.

And topped with Katsuobushi.

High school girls seem to like them, too.

How is it?

It's delicious!

Do you come here often?

Yes, I do.

Really?

Yes.

Do you come here to shop?

Yes, to shop.

What do you buy?

I don't know.

But it's fun just to look around.

Ameyoko is a place that appeals to all generations.

Joanna, I know a great place to take a break from all the hustle and bustle of the shopping street.

That sounds good.

Yeah, there's a temple.

A temple?

Yeah.

Now, is it close?

It's right up here.

Hidden away behind the shops, an old temple.

It was built about 400 years ago.

Away from Ameyoko's busy streets, it's an oasis of tranquility.

A different world.

This place is famous for the god of strength and wealth.

Strength and wealth, perfect for the shopkeepers, isn't it?

Perfect for the shoppers, too.

That's right.

And up here, we waft the smoke to heal ourselves.

Oh, really?

Like this?

With strength.

Okay, which part of you needs healed?

Probably my wallet.

Really?

I'm going to go for the full body thing.

Never be too healed.

There you go.

Once you sit down, it can be tough to drag yourself back into battle.

The space under the tracks is also packed with shops.

It's a maze down there with shops, shops, shops, wherever you look.

And more shops!

In Ameyoko, you can also buy imported products.

Dive underground, and you'll find shops full of foodstuffs from other Asian countries.

Oh, you smell something?

Yeah, I do.

It's like my favorite food ever, I think.

Yeah.

Look at this, this is like spice heaven.

Turmeric and garam masala, coriander, and powdered cumin.

I like this one.

So it's very international.

International, yes, yes.

Have you ever been to India?

No, I haven't.

I want to go one day.

Some items in Ameyoko have a price that packs a punch.

It's like treasure.

Yum!

I love it.

Let's take a closer look.

A diamond ring going for over 13 million yen.

And this one, over 16 million.

So not everything in Ameyoko is cheap.

You can find lots of jewelry stores here.

They may be more affordable than classy Ginza shops, but that doesn't mean the merchandise is cheap.

Ameyoko is supposed to be somewhere you can buy cheap things even cheaper, so why do they sell such expensive goods?

For a long time after the war, people couldn't travel overseas.

Famous foreign brand products were rare, and so traders here started importing and selling them themselves.

That's how it all started.

Even though the price itself is high, these luxury goods are actually bargains.

Ameyoko offers discounts at every price range.

We split up so we can focus on our own interests.

I'm going to check out some bag shops.

Maybe I can find a hat that makes me look cool.

No. 2,000 yen.

Oh, that's not bad.

Good?

Joanna found a shop where everything is 390 yen.

What have we got here?

Look, we've got really, really cool sort of sparkly baseball hats.

And look at these, they're so cute.

Oh, they've got little watches in them, these little baseball boots.

Excuse me.

Is everything in here really 390 yen?

Yes, everything.

That is amazing.

I think I've just found my favourite place.

Oh, really?

It's absolutely gorgeous.

Amazing.

Now, what am I going to get?

I have to make a decision.

Over here.

Hang on a minute.

Let me have a look at this.

Well, summertime is a little bit far away, but look at this splendid item.

And yes, ladies and gentlemen, only 390 yen.

What do you think?

Well, if I've got a beach hat, I definitely need to have a beach bag.

Well, there's no shortage of bags in here, so let's have a look.

This is what we want.

Do you think it's a good combination?

Look, we've got all these lovely sunshiny bright colours combined with this lovely straw hat.

I think this is it.

This is the combination we've got.

Wow, look at these senbei.

They are so cheap.

Why are they so cheap?

These have a bad shape, or they're broken.

So we sell them cheap.

Oh, I see, they got broken.

But they taste the same.

So the flavour is still yummy.

It's still the same.

Can I have one more packet, please?

Two of these.

And I would also like one packet of jelly beans.

Something else.

Let's have some of these.