アメ横ウェルカムモール

Shops crammed under the tracks

South of Ueno Station are many shopping streets and quirky places. I was on my way to Ameyoko Center Building for the basement Asian food market, and veered into Ameyoko Welcome Mall. The mall is cramped, dated, decorated with strings of lights and fake cherry blossoms, and has typical goods. But it's kind of fun for all those reasons. It reminds me of author William Gibson's interstitial spaces. It's multicultural, squeezed into a marginal space, and appears cobbled together, having not been updated in decades. It's a shelter in inclement weather, and good for picking up cosmetics, cheap clothing, and odds and ends. Spot the panda mascot!