ITO SHOPPING ARCADE

No video games in this arcade but everyone’s a winner.

Japan is famous for its shopping arcades (covered shopping streets) and I honestly don’t know why they are not more popular in other countries. Of course, Japan has indoor malls which kind of serve the same purpose with bigger, expensive chain stores but shopping arcades are much more fun. You’re still outside so the air is fresh, you don’t need to travel to the suburbs and find parking, you’re completely protected from the elements and best of all, you find the best treasures at amazing prices. A large majority of shopping arcade shops are independently owned so you can always chat with the owners and ask about the merchandise, find out where it was sourced or made and even barter for a discount. Especially in Osaka at the longest shopping arcade in Japan, Tenjinbashi-Suji, you can haggle for hours as it’s an absolute way of life and pretty fun way to pass the time practicing your Kansai-dialect.

Back to Ito though! So the shopping arcade here is located only a 3-minute walk away from the main station and it’s named Yu No Hana. The design is fresh out of the Showa Era (pre-war to the late 1980s) so you’ll see lots of nostalgic signage and Japanese fonts still hanging around from back then.

Most of the shops located along Yu No Hana offer merchandise that is produced and sold solely in Ito by Ito locals so it’s a fabulous place to try the local specialties as you walk around shopping and also pick up some souvenirs for friends and family (or for the train ride like my greedy ass).