Sometimes, Japanese shops have unique facade.  I would like to show them to you whenever I found one. Today, let me present you the examples I saw recently.

Facade 1: A Carpenter on the Roof

The first one is the roof of the office of a construction company Takachiho Construction in Nakano.  I happened to find this when my car stopped at the traffic light.  A carpenter is trying the board surface on the roof.

Facade 2: Ninja on the Roof

Some shop owners want something unique and something that represents the character of their shops.  The next one is the Kimono shop in Asakusa.

Ninja is on the roof.  Asakusa is an old town with many old shops and temples.  People with Kimono suit this town so it’s not surprising even if you come across Ninja.

Facade 3: A Chef and Coffee Cups on the Roof

Kappabashi is a neighbouring town of Asakusa and it is famous for the shopping street specialised in kitchen tools.  At the entrance of the street, a huge bust of a chef is waiting for you.  This is late Mr. Niimi who found Niimi Yoshokki Tableware Shop in 1907.  Across the street, there is a building with four coffee cups on the roof.  This is the annex of Niimi Yoshokki.

Facade 4: A Beetle on the Roof

Look like real foods but these are all food samples in Kappabashi

Kappabashi has many shops specialised in kitchen tools from tablewares and utensils to pots and pans for professional use and billboards for restaurants.  If you want to open a restaurant, go to Kappabashi to buy items you need in your shop.  Among those interesting shops, oversea visitors like the food sample shops best.  Food samples are usually on the glass cases in front of the restaurants so that customers can easily decide what to eat.

In Kappabashi, there are several food sample shops and one of them has a unique facade.  It has nothing to do with food samples – a beetle.  Why beetle anyway?

Facade 5: A Pagoda on the Roof

Kappabashi, the kitchen tool town is a few-minute walk from Tawaramachi Station of Tokyo Metro Ginza Line.  Tawaramachi is a town for Buddhist altar shops.  Many temples and shrines came to Asakusa area after the big fire happened in 1657.   The shops who sell Buddhist objects also gathered in this area.  As a result, Buddhist altar shops lined up along Asakusa Dori Avenue and today it is called Buddhist Altar Avenue.  Most of the Buddhist altar shops were established in early 20th Century.

And one of those Buddhist altar shops has an interesting roof.  There is a temple or pagoda-like object on the roof.  This architecture built around 1929 looks quite striking all the more because the other parts of the building does not have a traditional Japanese atmosphere.

That’s all for today’s story on interesting facade.  I hope I can show you unique facade more soon!

How to Get to the Shops with Unique Facade

Takachiho Construction: 35-5 Chuo 3-chome, Nakano-ku, Tokyo

Kocho (Kimono shop): 39-11 Asakusa 1-chome, Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Niimi Yoshokki: 1-1 Matsugaya 1-chome, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Food Sample Shop: 7-6 Nishi Asakusa 3-chome, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Namba Buddhist Altar Shop: 8-9 Kotobuki 2-chome, Taito-ku, Tokyo