Shopping Street · Kawasaki Daishi
Kawasaki Daishi Nakamise-dori 川崎大師 仲見世通り
The short, lively approach to Kawasaki Daishi where candy makers chop ginger-and-peppermint tontoko ame to a drumbeat rhythm, beside stalls of kuzumochi, daruma and lucky charms.
About
The final stretch to Kawasaki Daishi's main gate is the Nakamise, a bent lane of about 25 shops that is one of the most entertaining temple approaches in the Tokyo area. The star turn is tontoko ame: at shops such as Matsuya Sohonten, founded in 1868, candy makers chop long ropes of ginger or peppermint candy on wooden boards with cleavers, beating out a rhythmic "ton-to-ko" that is said to "chop away" misfortune. Alongside are shops selling kuzumochi (the temple's signature fermented-starch sweet with black syrup and kinako), daruma dolls, folk toys and charms. It feels like a smaller, more local version of Asakusa's Nakamise without the crush.
Highlights
- Rhythmic tontoko candy chopping at the shopfronts
- Matsuya Sohonten candy shop, founded 1868
- Kuzumochi shops with tea rooms
- Daruma dolls, folk toys and good-luck charms
- Much calmer than Asakusa outside New Year
Tips
- Candy-chopping demonstrations are most frequent at weekends
- Buy a small bag of tontoko ame as a cheap, unusual souvenir
- Kuzumochi keeps only a day or two: eat it fresh
- Most shops open about 9:00 and close around 17:00
Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09
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Open in the appNearby
- Sumiyoshi (Kawasaki Daishi Kuzumochi)Café & Sweets · 60 m away
- Kawasaki Daishi (Heiken-ji)Temple · 170 m away
- Daishi ParkPark · 310 m away
- Kanayama Shrine (Kawasaki)Shrine · 600 m away
- Ajinomoto Kawasaki Plant TourActivities & Experiences · 760 m away
- Fujimi ParkPark · 1.8 km away
- Kawasaki RacecourseSports & Sumo · 1.9 km away
- Kawasaki City Hall Observation Lobby & Sky DeckFree Observatories · 2.6 km away