Tokyo / Nihonbashi / District

The old shops of Nihonbashi

日本橋の老舗 にほんばしのしにせ

One thing, made for centuries — knives, chopsticks, seaweed, dried bonito, paper, brushes, all within four blocks.

EssentialCraft · Shopping · History · Food · High-end · Walkable

Nihonbashi's merchants have been selling the same goods since the Edo period, many from the same corner: Kiya (knives, 1792), Ninben (katsuobushi, 1699, with a dashi bar where you drink the stock), Yamamoto Noriten (seaweed, 1849), Haibara (washi paper, 1806), Eitaro (sweets, 1818), Edoya (brushes, 1718), Kuroeya (lacquerware, 1689). These are working shops, not museums; the staff will explain the difference between two knives or three grades of nori, wrap the purchase in paper, and add a card explaining how to care for it. The Coredo Muromachi complexes gather several under one roof for anyone short of time.

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A hand-drawn sketch for orientation — each place links to an exact map.
Tip
Knives can be carried home in checked luggage only; the shop will pack them for it.
Best time
Weekday late morning.
Allow
90 min
Station
Mitsukoshimae (Ginza / Hanzomon lines)
Official site — hours, prices, closures
www.nihonbashi-tokyo.jp · Map

Appears in

In this area: Nihonbashi

Landmark Essential

Nihonbashi Bridge日本橋

The zero milestone of Japan — a 1911 stone bridge with bronze kirin, under an expressway that is finally coming down.

30 min · Nihombashi (Ginza / Tozai / Asakusa lines) or Mitsukoshimae (Ginza / Hanzomon lines)
Shop Essential

Mitsukoshi Nihombashi Main Store日本橋三越本店

Japan's first department store, a 1914 palace with a pipe organ, a five-storey atrium and lions at the door.

60 min · Mitsukoshimae (Ginza / Hanzomon lines), direct from the basement
Museum Worth it

Artizon Museumアーティゾン美術館

The Bridgestone collection reborn in a 2020 tower — Impressionists to Japanese modernism, in generous rooms.

90 min · Kyobashi (Ginza line) or Tokyo (Yaesu side)

All places — Nihonbashi →