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Yatai 2007/12/3 08:45
I know there are lots of yatais in Fukuoka, but what about the Kansai area and Tokyo? Can anyone tell me where, in these areas, I'd be able to find the most yatais?

Thanks!
by Jessie  

yatais- not year round 2007/12/3 12:53
It's not really where that you need to ask but when- in Kanto at least, yatais pretty much only appear during festivals or events, mostly in summer.

Probably the earliest in the year you would see them in large numbers is during cherry-blossom time, at any park or area with a lot of blossoms.

There used to be a few outside Yoyogi park permanently but they seem to have disappeared recently.
by Sira rate this post as useful

yatai 2007/12/3 12:57
Thanks for your reply! I'll be in Japan around from mid-March to end of March. Do you think it's too early to see them?
by Jessie rate this post as useful

food stalls 2007/12/3 15:07
I'm not sure about Kansai, but as far as Kanto (greater Tokyo) is concerned, yatais are unlike those in Fukuoka.

Fukuoka yatais are extremely famous, and they are huge. By huge I mean one yatai wagon would be as big as a small bar in Tokyo and they serve enough food to make your tummy full for the night.

However, the yatais that appear at festivals in Tokyo area are mainly those for light snacks. On the other hand, there are noodle or oden yatais that appear here and there, but there is usually just one or two in the area and not half-a-town-full like it is in Fukuoka.

I did find a site called "Yatai Paradise" though, from a very quick internet search.
http://www3.shizuokaonline.com/yatai/info/tokyo.html

They show 2 yatais in Tokyo. The one near Kayabacho Station called "Wako" (which amazingly has a phone number) serves grilled shellfish, and the other is called "Oden no Setsuko" serving oden somewhere near Shimokitazawa Station.

If you're looking for a huge area packed with B-class food stalls, I would recommend the Golden Gai. They're not yatai (wagons) but tiny places with low-class homemade cooking. Get off at Shinjuku Station East exit and ask.
http://goldengai.jp/
by Uco rate this post as useful

Tokyo yatais 2007/12/3 16:21
Ah, sounds like you would be disappointed by Tokyo's matsuri yatais then, if Fukuoka's are so large. They are just one man (or woman) wagons here with a grill and small counter, selling perhaps yaki-soba or okonmiyaki, and then there are the ones that sell sweets etc- nothing special really.

Whether or not you will be too early depends on when the cherry blossoms are out- impossible to predict now. Maybe there will be flowers by the end of March, maybe not.

The area around Yurakucho station under the tracks also has some hole-in-the-wall places similar to the area in Shinjuku Uco mentioned.
by Sira rate this post as useful

... 2007/12/3 17:55
Those mobile food stalls behind Asakusa Temple during the weekends selling all sorts of street foods, are they considered Yatais as well ? Near Shinjuku Prince hotel, at the opposite side of the main road (apparel to the railway track), in one of the small back lanes, there are numerous stalls selling the same kind of foods. They look more permanent there inside a building.
by tju rate this post as useful

..parallel to the railway track... 2007/12/3 18:04
..sorry for the mistake !....
by tju rate this post as useful

. 2007/12/3 23:10
There are small yatais in tokyo. Always seen one at Ikebukuro near Prince hotel. Always seen one near train station at Shinagawa JR.

Might have seen a couple more here and there. Shinjuku usually has 2 or 3 on the streets selling ramen and yakitori.

Compared to a few years ago (or was that 10 years ago, can't remember), I felt that Fukuoka has less yatai's for some reason. Used to be all along the river or streets, now, you seem to find them only in the Nakasu area. I don't even see any in the Tenjin area much, perhaps I just missed them.

by Blanc rate this post as useful

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