之前去日本玩，道具街我都直接略過。為了做小baby的1歲生日蛋糕，我邁向了烘焙不歸路，最近竟然對日本的道具街很感興趣，因此這次的東京行加入了道具街採購。由於地點、營業時間和道具的重量問題，採購行只能安排在買完就回hotel的時段，所以第一天下了機，行李寄放旅店後，馬上衝去合羽橋道具街。約2:00 p.m.抵達。
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In previous trips to Japan, I skipped all the道具街(dougu street or kitchenware street). In order to make my baby’s 1-year-old birthday cake, I stepped in the bakery world. Recently, I found that dougu street was very interesting. So, it was in my visit list this trip. Due to the location, office hours and the weight of kitchenware, I had to schedule it at the period which I could go back to hotel after shopping. So, day 1, fresh out of plane, after placing our luggages at the hotel, we(my family) headed to Kappabashi Dougu Street immediately. We arrived there about 2 p.m.
合羽橋(かっぱばし，Kappabashi)道具街亦稱為かっぱ橋道具街，是日本最長的道具街，位於日本東京台東區西淺草和上野之間，是一條從淺草通り到言問通り之間、南北長800公尺，超過170間店的廚房烹飪用品商店街，從碗盤到傢俱、從食物模型到廚師服，從家庭等級到營業等級，還有一些乾貨食材店，所有開餐廳、café等飲食店所需的東西都有，用品種類、品牌非常多，甚至還有室內設計公司。最重要的是有很多超級便宜的offer物品可以選購，只要你有本事搬回家。距離最近的地鐵站有兩個，但都要走約3~5分鐘，南端的是田原町站，北端的是入谷站。
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Kappabashi Dougu Street(Kappabashi, かっぱばし, かっぱ橋道具街) is the longest Dougu Street or kitchenware street in Japan. It is located between west side of Asakusa and Ueno, a 800m street from Asakusa Doori (or AsakusaStreet, 淺草通り) to Kototoi Doori (or Kototoi Street, 言問通り) with more than 170 kitchenware shops. There are all kinds of things with various brands there that you might need to open a restaurant, from bowls to furniture, food models to chef wear, domestic to industrial size, and some goods suppliers. There are even interior design companies. The most important is there are a lot of things on sales that you can shoppe, if you can carry them home. There are 2 metro stations close to Kappabashi, Tawaramachi station on the south, Iriya station on the north. Both are about 3~5min walk away.
以觀光客的角度，比較簡單的走法是從田原町站3號出口出來，旁邊是佛具店三善堂，右轉走幾步到淺草通り，再右轉經過郵局，郵局旁邊則是3號出口的電梯（東京地鐵站不是每個出口都有電梯，而且電梯的位置和樓梯之間會有一段距離）。從電梯出來右轉，延著淺草通り走250公尺就會到合羽橋道具街的入口，田窯和屋頂有個大廚師頭的ニイミ(niimi)之間的路口。
這次功課沒做仔細，從田原町站3號出口的電梯出來之後才開始找路。延著淺草通り走到警視庁菊屋橋庁舍，看有個往合羽橋指示牌，指向旁邊的小路，我們就跟著指示轉入了小路，經過第一個路口之後，有一間很大間的寺廟－東本願寺，經過寺院再往左轉，延著菊水通り走到合羽橋南十字路口，就是道具街中間了，剛好我要去的商店就在左右。
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To tourists, the easier way to reach Kappabashi is get out from exit no. 3 of Tawaramachi station which is beside San Zen Dou(三善堂). Turn right and walk a few steps. Turn right at the juction of Asakusa Doori(淺草通り). Walk along the Asakusa Doori and pass the post office. The lift of Tawaramachi station is beside the post office. In Tokyo, not every exit of the metro stations equips with a lift. If there is, it is some distance way from the staircase. If you come out from the lift, turn right and walk along the Asakusa Doori about 250m. The Kappabashi street is between Dengama(田窯) and a gigantic chef’s head building Niimi(ニイミ).
I didn’t prepare well this trip. We started to find our way when we came out from the lift. We walked along the Asakusa Doori. Beside the Kikuyabashi(菊屋橋) police station, we saw a sign of Kappabashi, pointing to the lane beside. So we followed the sign, walked along the lane. There was a huge temple, Higashi Hongan-ji(東本願寺) after the 1st junction. We passed the temple and turned left at the junction. We walked along the Kikusui Doori(菊水通り) and reached the cross junction Kappabashi Minami(合羽橋南), in the middle of Kappabashi Street. Shops that I planed to visit were around there.
這就是叫合羽橋南的十字路口，對面是川崎商店，馬上知道道具街到了。今天飄著毛毛細雨，天色不好，比較暗。
這次的目標店有：馬嶋屋、本間、吉田和淺井，因為聽說蛋糕模多而且便宜。道具街各商店有各自的營業時間，大約是早上9、10點開始，下午5、6點結束。合羽橋道具街有自己的官網，有中、英文版本，當然是日本的最完整，裡面可以查到各商店的營業時間、地圖等資訊。
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This was the cross junction Kappabashi Minami(合羽橋南), a shop named Kawasaki(川崎商店) is opposite to us. And we knew Kappabashi street was there. That was a rainy day. The sky was dark.
My target shops were: Majimaya(馬嶋屋), Honma(本間), Yoshida(吉田) and Asai(淺井). I read that there were various cake pans with cheap price. The shops on Kappabashi street, each of them has its own office hours. They open around 9 or 10 a.m. and close at 5 or 6 p.m. Kappabashi street has a homepage on the internet, with Chinese and English versions. The Japanese version is the most informative, of course. You can find the office hours of each shop and maps etc.
從菊水通り出來，右邊便是那棟藍色的建築物，隔壁就是馬嶋屋了，有兩間店面，右邊那間是烘焙、洋食，現代的小工具，左邊那間則是日式工具。
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Coming out from the Kikusui Doori(菊水通り), Majimaya was on the right, just beside that blue building. Right side of it was selling baking and yoshioku(洋食) utensils. Left side was selling utensils for Japanese food.
馬嶋屋旁邊是はし藤本店，很大一棟建築物，有個怪鳥頭圖案，半個店面是賣筷子的，另一半賣雜貨和一些日本特色的東西，如紙卡等，進去的人還蠻多的。
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Hashitou Honten(はし藤本店) was beside Majimaya. Hashi(はし) means chopsticks. It was a tall building with a picture of strange bird head. Half of the ground floor was selling chopsticks. The other half was selling groceries and Japanese paper art works. There were quite a lot of people shopping inside.
賣筷子的はし藤本店隔壁是本間商店包裝店，賣便當盒、蛋糕盒之類的，再隔壁的本間商店是原料店，可以買到烘焙用的丸久小山園抺茶粉。
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Following Hashitou Honten(はし藤本店) was Honma(本間) packages shop, selling paper lunch boxes, cake boxes etc. Then, next was Honma(本間) supplies shop. You can find Marukyu Koyamaen(丸久小山園) matcha powder for baking here.
本間商店隔壁是吉田菓子道具店，在店裡看到有一些人好像在製模。吉田隔壁是淺井商店，招牌是個攪拌器。
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Next to Honma(本間) was Yoshida(吉田). I saw some people at the back. It seemed they were making cake pans. Next to Yoshida(吉田) was Asai(淺井), with a big whisk on the roof.
淺井商店隔壁風和里，是一間綜合廚具店，也有蛋糕模，門面設計很美，不像馬嶋屋、吉田和淺井這種雜貨店的擺放方式。
來來回回在馬嶋屋、吉田和淺井之間跑了1小時，最後才決定要買哪一家。先到淺井買蛋糕模，再去本間買抹茶粉，買完男友說はし藤本店的筷子不錯，馬上買了一組便宜的。買完才3:50 p.m.，小孩又睡著了，所以就繼續逛道具街。
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Next to Asai(淺井) was Fu-Wa-Ri(風和里). It was a complex kitchenware shop. The interior design was beautiful, unlike Majimaya, Yoshida and Asai.
After running between the Majimaya(馬嶋屋), Yoshida(吉田) and Asai(淺井) for 1 hour, I made up my mind finally. First, I went to Asai(淺井) to buy cake pans. Then, I went to Honma(本間) to buy matcha powder. After that, my husband told me that chopsticks of Hashitou Honten(はし藤本店) were nice. So, I went inside immediately and bought a set. It was just 3:50 p.m. when I finished shopping. Since my child was sleeping, we continued to walk along the Kappabashi Street.
經過一個block之後，是這間飯田，也是一間很大的廚具店，隔壁是陶器店小松屋，再隔壁是玻璃器具店キアニオンCanion。
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Pass a block, and it was Iida(飯田), a big kitchenware shop. Beside it was china shop Komatsuya(小松屋), following by glass utensils shop Canion(キアニオン).
合羽橋的かっぱ河太郎像，在飯田的斜對面。合羽橋道具街的logo是河童，在日中，合羽和河童的發音同樣是kappa，但兩者有什麼關係的問題在日文版官網上有說有2種說法，但都不是確定的答案。
我們在河童像前的十字路口附近繞了一下，再去河童像對面的Union Coffee逛，然後就轉回頭，準備離開。下雨兼推小孩不太好逛街。
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Kappa Kawataro Statue of Kappabashi was at the opposite side of Iida(飯田). The logo of Kappabashi Street is Kappa(河童). In Japanese, 合羽 and 河童 are pronuonced as kappa. On the Japanese homepage, it says there are 2 origins about the name of Kappabashi, but no one knows for sure which is the correct one.
We walked around the junction in front of the statue. We went Union Coffee shopping. Then we turned back to leave. It was not very enjoyable pushing a stroller and doing shopping in the rain.
來到Canionキアニオン，就是飯田隔壁再隔壁那間玻璃店，看到門口的瓷器就不行了，因為實在很便宜，好想直接湊全套回台灣。
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When we came across Canion(キアニオン), yes, that glass utensils shop next to Komatsuya(小松屋), which next to Iida(飯田), I saw those china in front of the door and lost my mind straight away. It was cheap! I wish I could gather a whole set and send by to Taiwan.
Canionキアニオン的左邊是小松屋，右邊則是ミノチヤ・キッチンセンター(ミノチ屋，Minochiya kitchen center)，門口也擺了超便宜的大瓷盤，非常非常有吸引力，我很認真地考慮要買。男友在一旁小聲地說：「可以買，可是搬得動嗎？行李箱裝得下嗎？會超重嗎？」
先別想搬回台灣的問題，我們連從店裡搬回hotel都還是個問題，因為小孩本身就是一件超重的易碎行李，所以我只好放棄了。
我在日文官網上看到道具街有貨運服務，但要去到街上的某個服務中心處理，下次來合羽橋一定要先做功課。
約4:30 p.m.我們便離開合羽橋道具街了。
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Minochiya kitchen center(ミノチヤ・キッチンセンターorミノチ屋) was on the right of Canion(キアニオン). There were huge china plates in front of the shop and they were cheap. Very luring. I thought about it seriously. My husband quietly said,“We can buy it but are we able to carry it home? Can our luggage hold it? Or over-weight?”
Don’t even think about carry it back to Taiwan. It was a problem carrying it back to the hotel because we were taking our child with us. A child is an over-weight luggage already. So, I gave up.
I had read on the homepage that Kappabashi provides freight service somewhere on the street. Next time, when I visit Kappabashi, I will check all the details first.
About 4:30 p.m., we left Kappabashi.
