Tokyo · Updated: 2026-10-12
Around Mitsukoshimae Station (三越前駅) in Tokyo's Nihonbashi, eight walking spots sit close together, from a dried-goods house and Japan's only toothpick shop to two long-running cafés, a matcha stand and a river cruise. Seven of the eight are a 1–4 minute walk from Mitsukoshimae Station in the Nihonbashi Muromachi blocks; only Nihonbashi Cruise departs elsewhere, a 3-minute walk from Nihombashi Station (日本橋駅). Shops founded in the Edo period still trade here, so alternating a shop and a café makes for an easy day on foot.
This guide covers 8 walking spots; 8 of them are an average 2-minute walk from the nearest station (1–4 min).
Counted from zorozoro listings when this page was generated. Walking minutes are estimates: straight-line distance to the nearest station × 1.3, at 80 m per minute.
A suggested order: have breakfast at Hamanoya Parlour, which opens at 09:00, then taste dashi at Yagicho Honten in the same building when it opens at 10:00. Walk on to Nihonbashi Saruya and Nihonbashi Kanmo in Muromachi 1-chome, then to Nihonbashi Kiya Main Store and IPPUKU & MATCHA, both opening at 11:00. Rest in the afternoon at Cafe Wien on the second floor of Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, and board the cruise as the light drops. Saruya and Kanmo are closed on Sundays and public holidays and the cruise is closed on Wednesdays, so a weekday or Saturday links all eight.
A long-standing coffee house founded in Yurakucho in 1966 and moved to Nihonbashi in 2023. It carries on the sandwich recipe of the previous generation, with the egg-and-fruit half-and-half at 850 yen and the house pudding at 600 yen; limited-quantity tarako spaghetti also appears. Chairs and paintings kept since the founding preserve traces of the former shop. It is a 2-minute walk from Mitsukoshimae Station, in the basement of the Yagicho Building, open 09:00–18:00 daily with no regular closing day.
A dried-goods house started in Nihonbashi by an Ise merchant in the era of the eighth shogun, Yoshimune. Built around katsuobushi, it also handles kombu, shiitake and beans, and is trusted by Tokyo restaurants and professionals. At the counter you can compare three dashi — Kanto, Kansai and vegetable — at 440 yen a cup. A 2-minute walk from Mitsukoshimae Station, open 10:00–18:30 with no regular closing day; the shop was designed by Jo Nagasaka and Schemata Architects.
Japan's only toothpick specialist, in business for more than 300 years since the Hoei era. Artisans hand-make around 400 pieces a day from kuromoji, a fragrant and springy wood. The signature square-tipped toothpicks are 1,320 yen for 20, and the paulownia-box holders can be personalised with a name. A 3-minute walk from Mitsukoshimae Station, open Monday to Saturday 10:00–17:00, closed on Sundays and public holidays.
A fish-paste specialist founded in the first year of Genroku, trading since the time of the fifth shogun, Tsunayoshi. The signature hand-shaped hanpen, 432 yen, is made from blue shark and yoshikiri shark delivered daily from Kesennuma and Yaizu, mixed with yam and egg white, ground in a stone mill and boiled. Oden ingredients, kamaboko and satsuma-age are also on the counter. A 4-minute walk from Mitsukoshimae Station, open Monday to Friday 10:00–18:00 and Saturday until 17:00, closed on Sundays and public holidays.
A blade specialist begun in 1792 by the first-generation Isuke Kato. Alongside knives and scissors are tools made with artisans from around the country, such as the pure-copper "Tsuru" grater at 2,750 yen. Sharpening demonstrations and maintenance advice are offered in the shop, and the attached exhibition space "izutuki" is worth a look. A 1-minute walk from Mitsukoshimae Station on the first floor of COREDO Muromachi 1, open 11:00–19:00, with irregular closures following the building.
A tea stand serving matcha grown entirely within Uji, Kyoto. The leaves come from tea farmers whose work dates to the Edo period, and the matcha parfait set with single-origin matcha starts at 3,500 yen. A tea room at the back lets you drink matcha without worrying about formal etiquette, with reservation-only sweets available there. A 2-minute walk from Mitsukoshimae Station on the first floor of Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, open 11:00–20:00 with no regular closing day; takeout available.
A café inside Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, officially recognised by the City of Vienna, on the second floor of the main building. Its specialty is "Pfirsich Melba", a recreation of the dessert created for the prewar opera singer Nellie Melba, layering vanilla ice cream, yellow peach compote and raspberry sauce in a swan-shaped glass. A 1-minute walk from Mitsukoshimae Station, open 10:00–18:30, with irregular closures.
A round-trip cruise leaving from Nihonbashi on an open boat of about one hour, with a guide on board and your own food and drink allowed. Several courses run, including sunset and night sailings; the 80-minute night cruise starts at 3,500 yen for adults. The pier is under Nihonbashi bridge, a 3-minute walk from Nihombashi Station, and it is closed on Wednesdays. Because the boat has no roof, sailings are cancelled in rain, so check the official site for the schedule.
One last tip. Some of the Muromachi shops close on Sundays and holidays, and the cruise closes on Wednesdays and cancels in rain. Visit Yagicho Honten and Kanmo on a weekday morning and finish on the evening boat, and all eight spots fit into a single walk.