Asagaya Pearl Center
Despite the name, this isn’t a pearl store but rather a classic shotengai (covered shopping arcade) running for just over ½ kilometer (⅓ mile) on the south side of Asagaya Station. Like many shotengai, it houses a mix of options, from cafés and small restaurants to everyday-goods and clothing shops. You will also find kimonos, crafts, and wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets), making this a great place to buy souvenirs as well as to soak up some local flavor. Most stores open around 11 am. Also, for fans of matsuri (festivals), every August, the Asagaya Tanabata Festival, which originated in China as the Qixi Festival, takes place here. It celebrates the once-a-year reunion of two stars otherwise separated by the Milky Way.
