The rainy season—typically from early June to mid-July—can be tricky for travelers eager to explore the city. But fear not: shoutengai, Japan’s covered shopping streets, are perfect for people-watching, hunting for cool souvenirs, and savoring delicious food.
Just two stops from Meguro, the shoutengai in Musashi Koyama stretches almost a kilometer—currently the longest covered arcade in Tokyo—and, like many others, is delightfully packed with shops and restaurants.
My favorite, oddly enough, was a store that sells Buddhist altars and graveyard supplies. They had incredibly realistic candles shaped like beer, sake cups, and green tea—meant to be lit when paying respects to your ancestors. I thought these were both adorable and clever, as offering real food and drinks at graves can feel a bit wasteful.
There are also arcades, pop-up shops, live music performances, and enough quirky little stores to keep your eyes wandering.
And of course, you cannot go anywhere in Japan without thinking about food—and shoutengai are bountiful purveyors. From croquettes to sweets and bread, there is always a delightful aroma tempting you onward.
In our case, we wandered all the way to the end of the shoutengai. Just outside the exit, under a charming green awning, was a gratin restaurant called Chiisana Furaipan (which translates to “a small frying pan”—how adorable!), serving up wonderfully nostalgic versions of pasta gratin and doria. My partner remarked that it reminded him, in the best way possible, of Japanese school lunches. I had a potato and pumpkin gratin, along with a cup of milky coffee redolent of the Showa Era (1926–1989).
Near the entrance, the long tunnel branches off, with the right-hand path leading to (selfishly) my favorite part of the shoutengai. Why selfish? Well, it’s the oldest section, and many of the businesses are closed or mostly overlooked…but ever so nostalgic-looking.
If the rain abates, keep walking straight ahead and you’ll reach Nishi-Koyama, with its open-air shopping streets—plenty of retro vibes there, too!