Yanesen: Old Shitamachi Alleys That Escaped the Air Raids

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Half-day

5 stops · Half-day

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My Trip

'Yanesen' bundles three neighborhoods: Yanaka, Nezu, and Sendagi. Having dodged war and redevelopment, Meiji- and Taisho-era alleys, wooden houses, and old kissaten remain. The most heartwarming neighborhood to walk in Tokyo.

Half-day5 stopsEst. budget 35,000 KRW

Itinerary

1
Yanaka Ginza Shopping Street谷中銀座
Yanaka · Street · 50 min stay
A charming shitamachi shopping street with a butcher's menchi-katsu, stray cats, and old shops. The view down from the 'Yuyake Dandan' (sunset steps) at the entrance is Yanesen's signature shot.
Walk 8 min
2
Kayaba Coffeeカヤバ珈琲
Yanaka · Cafe · 40 min stay
An old kissaten with a yellow awning, in a 1938 wooden building kept as-is. Its signature 'Russian' (coffee + cocoa) and tamago-sando. The cup that most deeply captures the Yanesen mood.
Walk 6 min
3
SCAI THE BATHHOUSE스카이 더 배스하우스
Yanaka · Art museum · 30 min stay
A contemporary art gallery converted from a 200-year-old public bathhouse (sento). Contemporary artists' shows hang in the high-ceilinged old bath space, a striking contrast of old and new.
Walk 12 min
4
Nezu Shrine根津神社
Shrine · 45 min stay
A formal shrine where a 1706 Gongen-zukuri sanctuary built by the Tokugawa shogunate remains intact. The 'senbon-torii' tunnel of red torii in a row and the April azalea (tsutsuji) hill are photo spots.
Walk 10 min
5
Ueno Sakuragi Atari上野桜木あたり
Yanaka · Culture · 30 min stay
A small complex made by preserving three 1938 wooden houses. A beer bar, salt shop, and bakery have moved in, so it's a nice place to taste local food in an old residence and end the stroll.