#Yanaka : Back in Time in #Tokyo
On the north side of Tokyo on the other side of Ueno Park, there is a charming quiet little part of Tokyo called Yanaka.
The area centers around 3 stations, Nezu, Sendagi, Nippori and its an area full of temples and local charm, in Japanese it is dubbed Temple town #寺町 because there are more than 70 temples to discover, like the Daienji temple. There area is steeped in history, started with being a farm village that was famous for its ginger, later it became a place where artisans lived and worked. To this day it has kept its small town appeal even though its located in one of the biggest metropolitans in the world.
I recently got to spend a night here in this traditional quarter, being guided by my friend Asami, who organizes tours in the area (check her instagram @tokyokimonoguidetour). everything centered around the area near the #Nezu metro station easily reached by the Chiyoda line.
Our time travel started by changing into our Kimonos. I opted for a hat to complete the semi modern look much loved at the beginning of the 1900's.
First Stop: はん亭 deep fried japanese soul food
We were feeling peckish so we decided to go to a kushi age place called #はん亭 (Hantei) they are famous for their fried skewers. It is located in a old style restaurant, that has been lovingly restored. your option is a course only and they come 3 to 4 times with different freshly fried delicious skewers. each time the balance of the taste between the different skewers is carefully considered and made so that they complement each other. Fish, Veggies and Meat all are deep fried in a tempura batter and served hot.
You can dip your skewers in either the Miso, Salt or Sauce especially prepared for the skewers, or you can just enjoy them as they are, hot and delicious. Then have a sip of Sake to wash it down. This place is in one word too good.
After this we started our walk down the little streets around Nezu Station, getting lost in the quiet alleys and looking inside the lively bars where salarymen were laughing and drinking beer. we were however headed to our next stop!
Second Stop: 九条 Ku-jo a tiny bar with excellent Sake
Ku-jo is a great little bar and event space. They have various great cultural events geared to both foreigners as well as of course Japanese. On Wednesday they have 500 yen Sake night, where the owner selects some delicious sake for you to sample. Still I had a hard time choosing my poison since The owner is very knowledgeable about Yanaka and also speaks english so you can just walk in here and have a great experience, and he can help you find other great places in the area.
The owner mentioned that the Udon restaurant 慶 (Yorokobi) would be a good next stop, however unfortunately it was fully booked! apparently it is a super popular place even on weekdays! So we decided to go and check another bar!
The next bar was a more modern, albeit early 1900 like cocktail/whisky bar the reason i want to keep it a secret is because it is a tiny little bar, and the most important thing is to keep discovering and just walk in somewhere. It takes some courage but then again Japan is so welcoming to foreigners and will take their time to make you comfortable and let you experience the best of what they have to offer.
I have just started to scratch the surface of this gem of a neighborhood and I will definitely go back! Living in neon crazy Shinjuku these kind of relaxed neighborhoods where time seemingly stands still, makes you realize that the old Tokyo vibe has not been lost in 2019. またね！
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