The vibrant Metropolis Tokyo is vast and can appear daunting until you get to know its districts and neighbourhoods. It is then that you discover that each has its very own style and atmosphere, like a collection of towns and villages they fit together like pieces of a puzzle.
Locals enjoy nothing more on a day off than venturing into an area of their city and spending a day exploring on foot and sampling the local fare and refreshments. The contrast and diversity of each area entertains and enriches as old traditions meet the modern world.
Here are five Tokyo areas much loved by locals. Which will you explore on your next trip to Japan’s eclectic capital?
Asakusa & Kappabashi
Tokyo’s downtown historic heart & Kitchen Town. Looking for true Japanese traditions, arts and crafts with a local downtown atmosphere? Welcome to Asakusa where Tokyo’s iconic Sensoji Temple is the oldest Buddhist temple in the capital. The temple entrance Kaminarimon Gate (Thunder Gate) with its giant red lantern is unmissable. Asakusa is on the Sumida River and can be accessed by Tokyo Water Bus ferries which operate from Asakusa to Hamarikyu Garden, Odaiba and Toyosu. One of the best views of Tokyo’s tallest landmark, TOKYO SKYTREE®, can be enjoyed from the Asakusa side of Sumida River and there is good access to it from Asakusa. Neighbouring Kappabashi, Tokyo’s famous kitchenware town is within walking distance of Asakusa. Most stores specialise in cooking and catering goods as well as traditional and modern hospitality items such as pots, pans and knifes.
Yanaka & Nezu
Local downtown life with a retro vibe. The areas of Yanaka and Nezu escaped major damage during the world wars and Tokyo’s natural disasters and thus have preserved a sense of history of a bygone era. Often referred to as Tokyo’s downtown (shitamachi), the general vibe is friendly, retro, and charming. Historic sites of Yanaka Cemetery and Nezu Shrine (one of Japan’s oldest shrines) are tucked away among narrow back alleys and traditional wooden houses. Yanaka Ginza, the retro shopping street, has around 70 shops. Enjoy street food and Japanese snacks such as juicy pork cutlets, grilled squid, and freshly baked rice crackers (senbei). Yanaka and Nezu are also home to a thriving art scene. HAGISO is a renovated wooden apartment building transformed into a hip café and gallery. SCAI the Bathhouse, formerly a public bathhouse (sento), has been turned into a contemporary art gallery.
Nakameguro
Cool cafes, bars and bookstores—a hub for hip sophisticates. Centred around the Meguro River and within walking distance of the fashionable districts of Daikanyama and Ebisu, Nakameguro holds its own in the sophistication stakes. The area is home to a range of cool cafes and restaurants, hip interior and accessory shops and the newly developed Nakameguro Koukashita—700 metres of bars and stores anchored by uber-modern bookstore Nakameguro Tsutaya Books. Nakameguro is a bustling bastion of cool throughout the year, but you’ll find the crowds swell in late March and early April when the densely packed riverside cherry trees bud and blossom, creating an ultra-photogenic tunnel of pink.
Kagurazaka
Where Japanese tradition meets French chic. This is a small stylish neighbourhood close to Shinjuku which was once a lively geisha district. These days, with cobbled streets, chic shops, French schools and French restaurants, Kagurazaka is better known as Tokyo’s little Paris. Stroll the quiet backstreets and you’ll still find signs of the area’s geisha heritage: elegant traditional ryotei restaurants and kimono stores are flanked by modern Michelin-starred establishments and minimalist galleries. You may even catch a glimpse of the few remaining geisha going to their appointments. Kagurazaka is now a relaxing place where you can explore the mix of shrines, cafes and fashionable new stores as cats sun themselves in quiet corners.
Kichijoji
A day in the park followed by the fun of cool standing bars. The Kichijoji area often tops Tokyo’s most-desirable-place-to-live list, primarily because Inokashira Park is just minutes away from Kichijoji Station, and Shibuya and Shinjuku are both relatively close by. Head out here for a day of relaxing recreation on boats and under trees, followed by an evening of authentic Japanese food and drink as you tour the standing bars of Harmonica Yokocho Alley.
