The Endoji Shopping Street hosts the Autumn Paris Festival on a weekend in mid-November. I visited the event on November 10, 2024, and here’s a description along with some photos from the day. Endoji is a covered shopping street located about a 15-minute walk from Nagoya Station. Shopping streets across Japan are disappearing due to factors like aging populations, the rise of large malls such as AEON, and the increasing popularity of online shopping. Endoji Shopping Street was once a bustling hub of activity, but nowadays it struggles to attract customers. To attract more visitors, Endoji Shopping Street started hosting the Paris Festival in the autumn. Why a Paris Festival, though? That’s an important question, but the reason remains unclear.
I entered Endoji Shopping Street from the Shikemichi side. The photo above shows the entrance to Endoji from the Shikemichi side. The festival started at 10 a.m., and I arrived around 11 a.m., but there were already quite a lot of people. It felt like you had to walk slowly due to the crowd.
Right after entering, there was an open area filled with food stalls. This part didn’t feel very French. It was more like a traditional Japanese summer festival.
There’s also a dedicated photo spot available.
They sell antiques and collectibles as well. While there are some French-style items, you can also find Japanese pottery.
A wide variety of food is also sold here, and you’ll often see people enjoying snacks while walking around. The photo above appears to show something resembling French bread.
As the afternoon rolled in, even more people arrived. The photo above shows the heavy crowd. If you’re not a fan of crowds, I recommend visiting in the morning.
On the south side of the street from Endoji Shopping Street, there are also various shops along the narrow alleyways.
The south side of Endoji Shopping Street is filled with old Japanese houses, and there are various restaurants. During the Paris Festival, food stalls are set up, making it enjoyable to walk through the narrow alleys.
At the same time, a different festival was being held in Shikemichi. While the Paris Festival does have a Parisian vibe, it’s still very much Japanese in style. That’s what makes it interesting, and what I liked most was the lively atmosphere. It might be a bit too crowded, but it’s definitely a festival worth recommending.
Shumokukan – cultural path in Nagoya
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