A Trip to Tokyo’s Kitchen Town

Before I left for Japan, I had asked Brett if he thought we should maybe buy a new set of dishes after we moved, but he said, “that’s not us.” We have always had mix-and-match dishes, with many pieces from Japan. He felt we should stick to tradition.

So, on my list of things to get in Tokyo were new plates and bowls. There are loads of places to buy dishes in Japan, but the biggest selection and best prices can be found in Kappabashi, known as “kitchen town” in Tokyo, located in the northeast part of the city. Kappabashi is actually one very long street with shops on either side selling everything and anything to do with any sort of kitchen, from fine restaurants to small apartments, from fancy cookers to humble saucepans. The grandkids were with their aunts at Tokyo Disney for two days, so I decided it was a good time to get out and make this trip on my own to see if I could find some dishes that appealed to me.

Getting to Kappabashi from our son’s house on the west side of Tokyo took a bit of effort. I rode the bus to Jiyugaoka station, then a train to Shibuya. At Shibuya I had to change to the Ginza line, which required exiting Shibuya station at one point, going around the corner, and then back in to get to my train (yes, it was confusing). Tawaramachi station, my destination, was 18 stops down the line. Thankfully the train was air-conditioned, and I was able to get a seat for the entire ride.

Have I mentioned it was 91+ degrees with humidity to match? I was a sweaty mess just getting through Shibuya station, but hot became brutally hot after my arrival at Tawaramachi.

After a short walk down the street from the station and around the corner I spotted the giant chef on the rooftop, the sign that I’d arrived at Kappabashi street. The first dish shop sits at the corner right across the street from the giant chef, but while the dishes were beautiful, they were odds and ends with only two or three pieces of each design at best. I thought the prices were high as well. So on I went.

Normally I would have made a day of looking through the many shops lining the street, but because of the heat I instead headed down to find Brett’s and my favorite dish store from our last visit, occasionally pausing to look at what other stores were offering. Thankfully the store I was looking for was not too far down the street because I was absolutely broiling at that point. The store services restaurants all over Tokyo and the surrounding area, and carries a fantastic selection, all at wholesale prices. The dishes are in stacks on high wooden racks up to the ceiling with narrow aisles running between them. Some dishes even sat in stacks on the floor. Every type of Japanese dish could be found in this store.

I was not in the mood to dawdle though, and in very short order I found beautiful dishes that would have appealed to me anywhere. I purchased six hand-thrown 9″ plates, six large ramen bowls, and five small plates, perfect for snacks, sauces, or a sweet. Five is the usual number for a dish set in Japan, but I wanted an extra plate and bowl to cover any potential breakage .

I would not have been able to find anything of comparable quality in the U.S. at the prices I found in this store:

As the clerk packaged up my purchases I realized to my horror that I had to get these heavy bundles back home on my own. I don’t think I’ve ever missed Brett so much as when that thought struck me. But, I put the bowls and small plates into my crocheted tote and slung it over my shoulder, and picked up the bag of very heavy plates and headed back to the station.

All was somewhat well until I got back to Tawaramachi Station, and had to go down two large flights of stairs and up another to get to my track: there were no escalators. I was sweating like crazy at that point, my arms wanted to fall off, and I was so parched I could barely open my mouth (there were no konbini or shops on the way to and from Kappabashi street to get something to drink). But, I somehow found a seat on the air-conditioned train, wiped off my face and neck with a cool wipe, and then turned on my little fan and somehow made it back to Shibuya in one piece.

I repeated the long walk from the Ginza line in reverse and fortunately was able to get on a super express train at Shibuya back to Jiyugaoka station. There was a seat waiting for me on the (air-conditioned) bus to go home, and I got off at the right stop and walked home. Before entering the house though I put my packages on the front porch and took a quick walk over to the konbini for some cool iced barley tea and ice cream to enjoy after I finally got the packages into the house.

The trip was a success in three ways: a) I did it on my own and didn’t get lost; b) I found some beautiful dishes at fantastic prices (and Brett is very happy with what I chose); and c) I learned how to get the girls and myself over to the Ginza and Asakusa next week – those stations are both on the Ginza line.

The only problem? I have absolutely no idea how I am going to get these dishes home!