The Nakamise souvenir shops at the Buddhist temple Senso-ji in Asakusa, Tokyo.
The brick shops along the entrance road to Senso-ji were built in 1885 (Meiji 18). They were destroyed during the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 (Taisho 12), but they were rebuilt in concrete in 1925 (Taisho 14).
For detailed information about the Nakamise, read Tokyo 1934 • Asakusa Nakamise.
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Old Photos of Japan aims to be your personal museum for Japan's visual heritage and to bring the experiences of everyday life in old Japan to you.
To enhance our understanding of Japanese culture and society I track down, acquire, archive, and research images of everyday life, and give them context.
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Kjeld Duits
Reference for Citations
Duits, Kjeld (). Tokyo 1910s: Asakusa Nakamise, OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN. Retrieved on December 12, 2025 (GMT) from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/612/asakusa-nakamise-brick
Tornadoes28
I visited here in 2004. It still looks very similar. I understand the temple was destroyed in the war. Is that true?
#000286 ·
Kjeld Duits (Author)
Yes, that is right. The temple burnt down and was rebuilt after the end of WWII. See the full story about the Nakamise here: Tokyo 1934 • Asakusa Nakamise. I think I may have an image of the temple as well. It will probably be uploaded some time next year.
#000287 ·
Amara
As someone who has had the pleasure of visiting Asakusa these pictures really are a great look back in time. I reached your site through friends on my Twitter, @amazinglyamara . I really look forward to more historical photos in the future!
#000429 ·