After a day of prolonged meetings in Tokyo I found myself in the northeastern district of Taitō (台東) and decided to spend the evening looking around Ueno (上野) and Akihabara (秋葉原) which are not far apart.
![Ueno Crossing](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/8237453870_d3ea10be35_b.jpg)
Starting at Ueno Station (上野駅) I made my way through Ameyoko (アメ横) market which runs parallel with the train tracks all the way to Okachimachi station.
![Tokyo Taxi](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/8237453664_b6942686af_b.jpg)
Taxis in Tokyo are enormously expensive so avoid them if you’re on a budget. Does anyone know what the difference is between the common green and the slick black ones?
![Ueno Market](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/8237454086_5b69211d27_b.jpg)
The area was well-known as a post-WWII underground economy and in contrast to places like Shibuya or Shinjuku, Ueno definitely has an older feel about it but still with the bright lights and buzzing activity.
![Friends Shopping](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/8237454836_f00b8091ab_b.jpg)
The market stalls seemed to be mainly selling discount clothing and seafood but there were also some small yakitori restaurants.
![Untitled](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/8236387509_6077808dc2_b.jpg)
Ameyoko, meaning ‘candy store alley’, gets its name from a sweet shop which used the lie at this junction. Now there is what appears to be a large statue of a cat…
![Transaction](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/8237455734_40b6d85f52_b.jpg)
For some reason I saw a lot of people carrying brightly designed GAP bags, I guess there must have been a sale on.
![Restaurant in Ueno](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/8237456044_bce94aa6e2_b.jpg)
More tasty food on offer.
![Fruit & Veg](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/8236388631_1704c778bc_b.jpg)
Fruit and veg galore.
![Ueno Park Fountain](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/8237456284_9584b73647_b.jpg)
Further north as dusk approached I took a short stroll through Ueno Park (上野公園) and stopped by the fountains outside the Tokyo National Museum (東京国立博物館) but was unfortunately too late to go in.
![Tokyo Train](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/8237456690_c68bfeb4f6_b.jpg)
Next, I took the JR Yamanote line two stops south to Akihabara and the area known as “Electric Town” which you may remember from my trip back in 2010.
![Akihabara Train Station](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/8236389801_1ca7c07cb3_b.jpg)
The underground and overground train network in Tokyo is really something to behold, just make sure you have a map.
![SEGA Akihabara](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/8236388997_cae1f3e11d_b.jpg)
If you’re into gaming and the anime/manga subculture then this area is probably a second heaven but honestly its a bit of a cutesy overload for me.
![Akihabara DVD Shop](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/8236389477_b7f6bcefe2_b.jpg)
There seemed to be a thriving second-hand market for things like DVDs, games and books – popular or rarer titles were pretty expensive.
![Akihabara Electric Town](https://randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/flickr_backup/8236389255_489b0af167_b.jpg)
Overall both areas are interesting to explore and I would hope to take a closer look at Ueno in the future.
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