Portal to the Past: Asakusa Underground Street
Through the march of time, Tokyo has grown and evolved to become a beacon of technology and progression. Unfortunately, with this evolution, much of the charm of past eras has also been wiped "clean." Each year, it becomes more difficult to discover hidden gems from the Showa (昭和）and other forgotten eras in Tokyo as they are slowly being replaced by the inevitability of modernization. The street entrance to Asakusa Underground Shopping Street (©Jason Halayko) Coming up from the entrance (©Jason Halayko)
One gem that has remained relatively unscathed over the decades is the Asakusa Underground Street (浅草地下商店街). Located beneath Asakusa Station, the Asakusa Underground Street is known as one of Japan's oldest underground shopping streets. And it is home to various izakayas, restaurants, and other unique shops and businesses that seem stuck in a bygone era. That is a good thing for street photographers like myself.
Even though I have visited Asakusa numerous times over the last 20 years, I had never ventured down into the darkness of this underground shopping area. Until now. Old fashioned standup noodle shop (©Jason Halayko)
Descending the stairs at the main entrance, I was greeted with an old-style standing-only udon/soba shop that was surprisingly constantly busy with customers during my visit. If I had more time, I would have loved to have tried some of their udon. Maybe next time I am in the area. A street sign points the way to the Asakusa Underground Shopping Street entrance (©Jason Halayko) Follow the arrow (©Jason Halayko)
Entering the main street, I was taken aback by just how quiet it was underground. Above ground, there were thousands of people walking about exploring Asakusa. Here, though, there were but a handful of curious travelers and obvious locals to be seen. Discovering the Showa era under Asakusa Station (©Jason Halayko)
Walking through the street and exploring with my camera, it was hard not to notice that the street is in desperate need of many renovations. Again, however, this is part of the charm of these areas. The feeling that this place has not changed majorly in decades is refreshing and exciting for me as a street photographer. A quiet shopping street (©Jason Halayko) A shop and shopkeeper from the Showa era (©Jason Halayko) Which way? (©Jason Halayko) Browsing Showa style (©Jason Halayko)
I should also mention that the Asakusa Underground Street is actually quite short, taking only a minute or two to walk the entire length. Saying that, while exploring the street, I must have walked back and forth a dozen times, and found something new and exciting with each and every pass. I love exploring areas like this with my camera, especially when they are quiet and I can just take my time and not feel rushed by the tidal wave of visitors one encounters above ground in Asakusa. Down the stairs into Asakusa Underground Shopping Street (©Jason Halayko) Details from another era in underground Asakusa (©Jason Halayko) A shop and shopkeeper from the Showa era (©Jason Halayko) Even the appliances speak of "Showa" (©Jason Halayko)
In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed my time exploring the Asakusa Underground Street and feel I got some great captures as well.
If you are in Asakusa, make sure to check this little forgotten pocket of the past, before it too disappears under the marching feet of modernization. (©Jason Halayko)
Author: Jason Halayko
Jason Halayko is a professional photographer specializing in action sports and portrait photography. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram .
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