About this site

Find Restaurant

Online Reservation

Show instant booking only

Language

English
Tiếng Việt
ภาษาไทย
Bahasa Indonesia

Explore Artisan Crafts and Cafes in Kuramae, Tokyo

Update-Date: Feb 11, 2026

Author: Sydney Seekford

Categories: Tonkatsu Cafe Unagi (eel)

Explore Artisan Crafts and Cafes in Kuramae, Tokyo

Businesses stretching towards their 100 year anniversary share this town with the workshops of young artists who have come here from around the country to share their work. Up hidden staircases or front-and-center streetside, Kuramae is home to a wide variety of cafes, restaurants, and charming hand-made crafts that make the perfect souvenir.

Sydney Seekford

Gourmet Creator

American living in Japan since 2022. Food writer and gourmet content creator for Japan’s most well known food media. Founder of menu translation and language support service MENUWIZ. Work history includes copywriting for booking platforms, video and media production and appearances, and consulting in F&B for household brands. Passionate about regional revitalization and slow tourism with a focus on local food culture.

About Kuramae

Kuramae station (Toei Oedo Line)

Kuramae was named for its history as a wealthy area where merchants kept granaries and warehouses. It’s considered a shitamachi or “downtown” area for being just in between the livelier Asakusa, Akihabara, and Ryogokugo neighborhoods. Many guests choose hotels in Kuramae for its great walking access to the surrounding areas.

Streets of Kuramae

At first glance, Kuramae seems a bit lackluster – mostly apartments and offices. However, the town has attracted an increasing number of artisans and craftsmen. Some of these continue hundreds of years of work with their traditional goods. Others are forging new paths with hand-crafted products made for contemporary people.

Weaving workshop interior and traditional sliding doors

This guide to Kuramae by Savor Japan introduces a selection of dining and shopping options in Kuramae that make the neighborhood a worthwhile addition to your Japan trip. Whether you are a fan of small-batch coffee roasteries or slow fashion, Kuramae guarantees a few hours of calm enjoyment.

A little sightseeing

Matsudaira Saifuku-ji Temple

Compared to the sumo stadium and sword museum of Ryogokugo, the temples and shrines of Asakusa, and the chiming game arcades of Akihabara, Kuramae isn’t a hot spot for sightseeing. What it lacks in tourist attractions, it makes up for in quiet moments and intimate views of Tokyo.

Kuramae shrine

Walking along the Sumida river, guests can enjoy a quiet stroll in good weather. It’s a lesser-known route to get to and from Asakusa and offers a break from the crowds with charming views of the water and canal-side architecture.

Views of the Sumida river from Kuramae, ft. a modern pleasure boat passing rustic yakatabune
In the evening, you might catch sight of a yakatabune restaurant boat floating down the Sumida. Yakatabune Amikou is one such operator. They invite small groups or whole parties to enjoy authentic Japanese cuisine while appreciating the scenery of Taito-ku, including Kuramae and Ryogoku.

＞＞Cruise Tokyo on a Traditional Yakatabune Party Boat

Park-side sculpture exemplifying the neighborhood’s quirky art

Kuramae does have a couple parks and shrines, and the Bandai headquarter building is worth a street-side photo for diehard fans, but by far the best way to spend time here is by enjoying the shopping and dining in the area. Since most of the best activities are inside, Kuramae is even nice on rainy days, when much of Tokyo’s sightseeing areas become notably less convenient.

Coffee and Cafes

Sol’s Coffee Roaster

Nearby, Sol’s coffee roaster fills Fireking cups with some similarly serious beans blended and roasted in house. Sol’s also serves breakfast, sandwiches and sweets made on the premises. Free wifi is available, but the experience is best enjoyed while listening to the store’s expansive collection of CDs.

If you go early enough, you might run into other local business owners coming to buy beans for the week, or catch a whiff of bread or carrot cake baking before the next rush. As a reminder of just how seriously Japanese eateries take the seasons, Sol’s apparently adjusts the water content in its bread between winter and summer, offering fluffier loaves as the weather cools down.

Sol’s Coffee Roaster
Hours: Monday & Friday: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
　　　 Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Weekends & Holidays: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Address: 3-25-7 Asakusabashi, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Dandelion Chocolate

Dandelion chocolate is actually a company from San Francisco, USA that has set up a factory right in the heart of Kuramae. Specialty bean-to-bar chocolate comes in the form of sweets flights, brick-sized brownies and specialty hot chocolate, including a houji-cha blended edition limited to the Kuramae shop. Of course, you can also just get a cup of joe and a bar of chocolate to go if preferred.

Diners can see the whole workshop from the first floor while waiting for their coffee or sweets, but a glass-topped table on the second floor offers a rare top-down view. The whole building is filled with the bitter-sweet smell of roasting cacao beans and chocolate. Spacious enough to comfortably seat 50 guests at least, visitors can spend a few hours upstairs guilt-free.

DANDELION CHOCOLATE Factory & Cafe Kuramae
Hours: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Closed: Open daily
Address: 4-14-6 Kuramae, Taito-ku, Tokyo

As Kuramae has grown in recent years, so has the number of craft coffee shops and cafes. Some have been around forever though, like Marcelino Mori, a sando specialty shop whose nostalgic katsu sando and fruits sando have been enjoyed for over 60 years. Not far, the buzz-worthy Lonich serves its coffee tasting courses (“omakase”) less than five minutes from the Kuramae station exit.

For tea lovers, a visit to Nakamura’s tea specialty shop is the perfect time to buy souvenirs. This shop sells Shizuoka-grown green tea that has been raised, harvested, and roasted by the Nakamura family since 1919.

Dining

Imai Sohonten (Japanese Restaurant Imai)

Unaju, pickles, and clear eel-liver soup (Kimosui)

Imai is an unagi and fugu specialist, popular for its hot-pot events. Great for groups, can seat up to six at regular tables or accommodate even larger parties, as many as 70 guests, with advance booking of the private rooms. Chef Imai, born in Tokyo, sources his unagi from around the country, depending on the time of year. Many of his other ingredients, used in formal kaiseki courses and every-day dinners, come from Niigata, Nagano and Aomori, where intense seasonal shifts make flavorful products.

A range of sets are available for lunch, but the signature unaju is an excellent choice. Portion wise, it’s just right, two large filets of domestic eel prepared kanto style with a stunning cup of eel liver soup. The tare (sauce) is made with a secret recipe, using soy sauce from Niigata. Unlike many of the thickened sauces usually served to accompany unagi, this one is thin, with a restrained flavor and pronounced sourness that accents the fat of the unagi.

Tatami seating in Imai, lunch set

The rice, shinmai (this year’s new rice), feels a bit softer than usual, with long, oblong grains that don’t stick together very much. Every element of the unaju seems carefully constructed to highlight the eel and only the eel. Aside from the glowing dashi soup, a perfect palate refresh, all the non-eel elements take a backseat. Even those trying it for the first time will fully appreciate the long-honored recipe of Imai’s unagi.

Imai Sohonten

Open: [Weekday,Saturday,Day Before Holidays] Dinner 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm (last order 9:00 pm) / Lunch 11:30 am - 2:00 pm (last order 1:30 pm)
Closed: Sunday,Holidays
Average price: [Dinner] 5,000 JPY / [Lunch] 950 JPY
Access:
Address: 4-23-1 Kuramae, Taito-ku, Tokyo Map
More Details Reservation

Ramen Kai

The standard ramen, with nori topping.

For something more casual, try Ramen Kai, which has been rated one of the top 100 ramen shops in Tokyo by popular vote on a well known restaurant website. In typical ramen-ya style, the store has just one long counter and guests buy their ticket at the vending machine.

The noodles are made in house, so they can’t be adjusted, but toppings and sides like chashu-don are available to customize the meal to your tastes. The shops’ specialty is kaidashi ramen with a clear, golden broth or thick niboshi tsukemen. Both are seafood based, one using ingredients like clams, and the other a fish-based broth. The menma are particularly special, offering excellent flavor and texture, and the chashu is fairly lean. Fans of shio ramen will enjoy this seafood based bowl.

Ramen Kai
Hours: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Holidays: Open daily (※Any closures will be announced on official social media.)
Address: Miyauchi Bldg. 1F, 4-20-10 Kuramae, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Shopping

The shops listed below are our recommendations for buying one of a kind artisan souvenirs in Kuramae.

JOLI ALL LEATHER ITEMS Kuramae

Joli, a leather goods company offering dying workshops and custom products

Kuramae is home to many small-scale and old-fashioned manufacturers. Craft goods brands started in other parts of the country have begun to assimilate in Kuramae with antenna stores and workshops that bring their work to even more people. Watchmakers, leather goods workshops, and weavers make up just a few of the crafts represented.

While not every merchant is open to the public, some of them not only accept individual sales but even offer one-day experiences that introduce guests to their craft. Some of the most popular experiences involve working with leather or metal, like at Joli (in the same building as Marcelino Mori). Other stores, like En no Ki, even allow visitors to try roasting their own coffee beans.

Joli is one of the brands in the neighborhood that actually hails from outside of Tokyo, but established itself in Kuramae to be close to the local artisan community. The team is known for its custom leather shoes and playful wallets and coin cases.

JOLI ALL LEATHER ITEMS Kuramae
Hours: 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
Address: Kuramae MORI Bldg. 1F & 4F, 4-21-2 Kuramae, Taito-ku, Tokyo

After exiting Kuramae station, the corner storefront of Mizukiya Baba Shouten catches your eye immediately. Founded in 1900 (Meiji 33) the company manufactures wicker, wooden, and bamboo goods. The baskets sold here seem to be wholesale prices, and are strikingly similar to popular styles found around Tokyo at eyewatering markups.

The store features multiple floors of goods covering a wide variety

Some of the most charming products are picnic baskets and traditional bamboo tools, such as steamers. Small souvenirs, like matcha whisks and bento boxes, are also available for those with dwindling suitcase space.

Bento boxes made by small manufacturers with decades of experience, the perfect souvenir

Mizukiya Baba Shoten
Hours: 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
Closed: Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays
Address: 4-6-7 Kuramae, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Proto tablewares and precious

The sign outside

Just outside an aging apartment-style building, a white signboard marks the entrance to Proto “Tablewares and Precious.” Follow the steady flow of people in and out to the second floor space, where work by individual potters and glass artists is gently backlit by ware-house windows. At the time of writing, Proto was hosting a mug-fest, bringing together a range of coffee cups by contemporary artists from around Japan.

Tools for tea ceremony, everyday glassware, and more

According to the staff, many overseas travelers go out of their way to come and shop here. After placing their bags to the side, anyone is welcome to freely roam the store and gently handle the pottery. Chawan and kataguchi (matcha mixing bowls with a spout, ideal for making matcha to pour into a latte), petite sake cups and elegant serving ware in all shapes and sizes are displayed on antique furniture. From the space design to the products themselves, it’s a highly recommended example of Kuramae’s artisan culture.

proto tablewares and precious
Hours: Weekdays: 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm
　　　　 Weekends & Holidays: 11:00 AM - 7:00 pm
Closed: Open daily except for New Year holidays
Address: Seika Bldg. 2F, 4-20-12 Kuramae, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Maito Design Works

Maito Design Works has a Flagship showroom just a minute or so from Proto, a dying workshop down the street, and another retail location in Akihabara. The design house, which uses only natural fibers and dyes, also has manufacturing areas in Fukuoka (dyes) and Osaka (knitwear). The founder, Matio Komuro, became interested in fibers through his family business. Through his company, he approaches issues like consumer culture and fast fashion.

In-store shopping includes dyed threads and complete garments

Maito Design Works manufactures knitwear, dyes, and natural threads with a special focus on indigenous Japanese dyes. Warm, bakery-tone dyes made from roots and tree bark are complimented by the elegant, quintessentially Japanese colors of sakura and indigo. Each piece is unique and made to last. In addition to selling their dyed threads and garments, Maito Design Works also hosts dyeing workshops and has published a book on natural dyes.

MAITO Kuramae Store
Hours: 11:30 am - 6:30 pm
Closed: Mondays
Address: 4-14-12 Kuramae, Taito-ku, Tokyo

All Japan Ivory Wholesale Center

True to its name, this wholesaler and craft supplier sells ivory, mammoth ivory, and more at very approachable prices. The shop opened in Kuramae in 2023, where they sell raw materials for craftspeople and jewelers, though hobbyists are also welcome. Strings of pearls, both freshwater and natural, hang from the walls, while waist-height displays show off both finished products and exceptional specimens. In the back of the store, semi precious stones give way to a small area of antique crafts, many of which are made from ivory.

Strings of beads for sale, with antiques and ivory in the back

Throughout the store, well-placed signage warns visitors that it’s illegal to purchase ivory in Japan and take it as a souvenir overseas. Non-residents will have to limit their appreciation of the ivory to in-store viewing. However, the pearls and sparkling beads of quartz and turquoise are charming enough to satisfy anyone who wants to try making their own jewelry from authentic materials.

All Japan Ivory Wholesale Center
Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm, Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Closed: Sunday, National Holidays
Address: 4-22-8 Kuramae, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Sugita

Sugita is a humble tonkatsu restaurant run by its second generation owner. Born in 1980, head chef Mitsuo Sato took over his father’s business in 2011. While he upholds the traditions of casual tonkatsu, he also pursues mastery of the craft, carefully controlling oil temperature and trimming the meat to rid excess fat. Their style is to offer clean cuts of meat with fine breadcrumbs – a departure from modern trends of thick steaks of pork and flakey panko. The interior is simple, just a wooden counter, and reflects the honesty of the dishes.

Sugita

Open: [Monday - Wednesday, Friday - Sunday, National Holidays, Day before National Holidays] Lunch 11:30 am - 2:00 pm (L.O. 1:45 pm) / Dinner 5:00 pm - 8:30 pm (L.O. 8:15 pm)
Closed: Thursday
Average price: [Dinner] 3,000 JPY / [Lunch] 3,000 JPY
Access: 2 minutes walk from Exit A5 of Kuramae Station on Toei Subway Oedo Line / Asakusa Line
Address: 3-8-3, Kotobuki, Taito-ku, Tokyo Map
More Details Reservation

Unagi Komagata Maekawa Main Branch

If you’re craving unagi and want to compare the techniques from different shops, visit Unagi Komagata in nearby Asakusa. The dining room is also tatami, and offers views of the Sumida river and Sky Tree. Head chef Hideyuki Kobayashi took the uncommon path from sushi chef to unagi master after taking on a part time job at an unagi restaurant more than a decade ago. Now, he continues a 200 year legacy with the same tare (unagi sauce) as the chefs before him. For sustainability reasons, Unagi Komagata uses farmed eels, ensuring consistency in flavor and quality but said to be on par with endangered wild eels.

Unagi Komagata Maekawa Main Branch

Open: 11:30 am - 9:00 pm (L.O. 8:30 pm)
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 9,000 JPY / [Lunch] 6,000 JPY
Access: 1 minute walk from Exit A2 of Asakusa Station on Toei Asakusa Line, or 3 minutes walk from Exit 4 of Asakusa Station on Tokyo Metro Ginza Line.
Address: 2-1-29, Komagata, Taito-ku, Tokyo Map
More Details Reservation

Visit Kuramae!

For a laid back shopping experience, with plenty of breaks for coffee and snacks, Kuramae beats out nearly any other block in Tokyo. Its streets of artisanal goods and coffee stretch up into Asakusa and peter out towards Akihabara. Sandwiched between so many classic attractions, Kuramae is a wonderful location to visit for multi-generational travelers who want to enjoy a wide variety of only-in-Japan experiences in one area. The many hotels and affordable restaurants in the area, even for traditional Japanese cuisine, make it an especially attractive place to stay.

Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.

Thank you for reading our article.

Our goal is to take your culinary journey to the next level by helping you find the best restaurant. With SAVOR JAPAN, you can search and make reservations for

the Tonkatsu, Cafe and Unagi (eel) restaurants found in and around Asakusa that fill your needs.