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Tantalising Tokyo

Tokyo is Japan’s futuristic heart and the ideal place to visit in 2023.

05 May 2022

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From small lantern-lit pathways to towers of neon advertisements, Tokyo is a thriving metropolis and fascinating blend of the old and the ultra-new. It’s also ranked as the world’s safest city.

We bring you the top-five suburbs you won’t want to miss in Japan’s capital city.

 


Asakusa and Kappabashi: Tokyo’s downtown historic heart and 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 the Tokyo Water Bus ferries that operate from Asakusa to Hamarikyu Garden, Odaiba and Toyosu.

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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 knives.

Explore Asakusa.

 

Yanaka & Nezu: local downtown life with a retro vibe

The areas of Yanaka & Nezu escaped major damage during the world wars and Tokyo’s natural disasters, and have therefore preserved a sense of history and 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.

Explore Yanaka and Nezu

 

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.

Explore Nakameguro.

 

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.

Explore Kagurazaka.

 

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.

Explore Kichijoji.

 

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