Kitchenware Street (2006-03-29)
The station before Asakusa (
) on the subway Ginza (
) Line is
called Tawaramachi. And a few minutes' walk from that station is
a long street called Kappabashi-dori Street. The street is lined
with shops selling everything and anything you can imagine associated
with the food industry and kitchenware.Aside from the usual pots and pans, bowls and plates, utensils and
lacquerware, one can find shops that specialize in waitstaff uniforms,
food replicas or menu stands seen outside restaurants.
The merchandise in Kappabashi Street is geared for restaurant
owners, but sales are also made for the general public. Many
items can be found sold in bulk and at a lower price than the
retail sales in department stores.
If you can't find what you need in Kappabashi Street, chances are
you won't find it in retail stores outside the area. Such is the
case for me.
I've looked high and low for some cast iron cookware in department
stores and specialty shops around Tokyo for weeks with no luck.
Le Crueset products are easy enough to come by, but I was looking for
the good ol' plain cast iron pots and skillets that I used to use when
I was living in Alabama. I went to Kappabashi Street and spent an
afternoon to find ONE small skillet and ONE campdutch oven in the entire street.
Disappointed, I turned to the internet when I got home and found
what I wanted in under ten minutes.....
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