From Japanese knives to utensils for sushi and ramen, this Tokyo neighbourhood is a treasure trove for chefs and tourists

Kappabashi near Tokyo’s Asakusa district is a centre of Japanese kitchenware, with shops selling everything you’d ever need to open your own sushi restaurant

Specialist cooking items aside, Tokyo’s Kitchen Town is great for tourists, with everything from chopsticks and bowls to sake cups and plastic food key rings

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Kappabashi covers all of your Japanese food preparation needs, with shops selling everything from Japanese knives to sushi and ramen utensils. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:15am, 25 Jul 2022Updated: 7:43am, 25 Jul 2022

A deep bowl with a stunning, hazy blue glaze has caught my eye but, as I set foot into the mildly chaotic interior of the shop, the proprietor rushes forward, his arms outstretched in anything but a greeting.

Seeing my reaction, he quickly reassures me that I am indeed welcome – but then points at my shoulder bag, waves an airy hand at his stock and gives me an awkward smile.

Komatsuya is jammed floor-to-ceiling with beautiful – but delicate – pottery. The shelves are weighed down with thimble-sized sake mugs and decorated pots for green tea, while the floor is awash in rectangular plates for fish dishes, shallow bowls for soy sauce, deeper ones for ramen, rice bowls, serving dishes and countless others.

Breakages in this business must be a constant source of concern.

Komatsuya is jammed floor-to-ceiling with beautiful – but delicate – pottery. Photo: Julian Ryall

Very carefully, I slip my bag off my shoulder and make sure I’m extremely careful where I place feet that are larger than those of the average Japanese customer in Kappabashi – more commonly known as Tokyo’s Kitchen Town.