Best Places to Eat
A Kanda Yabu Soba
A Botan
A Ethiopia
A Kado
Best Places to Drink
A Imasa
A N3331
A Craft Beer Server Land
A Mugimaru 2
Best Places to Shop
A 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan
A mAAch ecute
A Mandarake Complex
A Kukuli
1Sights
1Kōrakuen & Kudanshita
oKoishikawa KōrakuenGARDENS
(小石川後楽園 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3811-3015; http://teien.tokyo-park.or.jp/en/koishikawa; 1-6-6 Kōraku, Bunkyō-ku; adult/child ¥300/free; h9am-5pm; dŌedo line to Iidabashi, exit C3)
Established in the mid-17th century as the property of the Tokugawa clan, this formal strolling garden incorporates elements of Chinese and Japanese landscaping. It's among Tokyo's most attractive gardens, although nowadays the shakkei (borrowed scenery) also includes the other-worldly Tokyo Dome.
Don't miss the Engetsu-kyō (Full-Moon Bridge), which dates from the early Edo period (the name will make sense when you see it), and the beautiful vermilion wooden bridge Tsuten-kyō. The garden is particularly well known for its plum blossoms in February, irises in June and autumn leaves.
Koishikawa Kōrakuen | TAKASHI IMAGES / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Yasukuni-jinjaSHINTO SHRINE
(靖国神社 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3261-8326; www.yasukuni.or.jp; 3-1-1 Kudan-kita, Chiyoda-ku; h6am-5pm; bHanzōmon line to Kudanshita, exit 1)
Literally ‘For the Peace of the Country Shrine’, Yasukuni is the memorial shrine to Japan’s war dead, around 2.5 million souls. First built in 1869, it is also incredibly controversial: in 1979, 14 class-A war criminals, including WWII general Hideki Tōjō, were enshrined here.
The main approach is fronted by a 25m-tall torii (entrance gate) made of steel and bronze; behind the main shrine, seek out the serene grove of mossy trees and the ornamental pond.
For politicians, a visit to Yasukuni, particularly on 15 August, the anniversary of Japan’s defeat in WWII, is considered a political statement. It's a move that pleases hawkish constituents but also one that draws a strong rebuke from Japan's Asian neighbours, who suffered greatly in Japan's wars of expansion during the 20th century.
Yūshū-kanMUSEUM
(遊就館 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3261-8326; www.yasukuni.or.jp; 3-1-1 Kudankita, Chiyoda-ku; adult/student ¥800/500; h9am-4pm; bHanzōmon line to Kudanshita, exit 1)
Most history museums in Japan skirt the issue of war or focus on the burden of the common people. Not so here: Yūshū-kan begins with Japan's samurai tradition and ends with its defeat in WWII. It is also unapologetic and has been known to boil the blood of some visitors with its particular view of history.
There are also some emotionally harrowing exhibits, such as the messages (translated into English) of kamikaze pilots written to their families before their final missions.
National Shōwa Memorial MuseumMUSEUM
(昭和館; Shōwa-kan MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3222-2577; www.showakan.go.jp; 1-6-1 Kudan-minami, Chiyoda-ku; adult/child/student ¥300/80/150; h10am-5.30pm Tue-Sun; dHanzōmon line to Kudanshita, exit 4)
This museum of WWII-era Tokyo gives a sense of everyday life for the common people: how they ate, slept, dressed, studied, prepared for war and endured martial law, famine and loss of loved ones. An English audio guide (free) fills in a lot.
Koishikawa Kōrakuen | TAKASHI IMAGES / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
1Kanda & Akihabara
Origami KaikanGALLERY
(おりがみ会館 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3811-4025; www.origamikaikan.co.jp; 1-7-14 Yushima, Bunkyō-ku; hshop 9am-6pm, gallery 10am-5.30pm Mon-Sat; c; dJR Chūō or Sōbu lines to Ochanomizu, Hijiri-bashi exit)F
This exhibition centre and workshop is dedicated to the quintessential Japanese art of origami, which you can learn to do yourself in classes here. There's a shop-gallery on the 1st floor, a gallery on the 2nd, and a workshop on the 4th where you can watch the process of making, dyeing and decorating origami paper.
Admission is free, but origami lessons (offered most days in Japanese) cost ¥1000 to ¥2500 for one to two hours, depending on the complexity of that day’s design. First-timers would do well to try for a class with the centre’s director, Kobayashi Kazuo.
Kanda Myōjin (Kanda Shrine)SHINTO SHRINE
(神田明神 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3254-0753; www.kandamyoujin.or.jp; 2-16-2 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; dJR Chūō or Sōbu lines to Ochanomizu, Hijiri-bashi exit)F
Tracing its history back to AD 730, this splendid Shintō shrine boasts vermilion-lacquered halls surrounding a stately courtyard, where you'll also find the pet pony Akari. Its present location dates from 1616 and the kami (gods) enshrined here are said to bring luck in business and in finding a spouse. There are also plenty of anime characters, since this is Akiba's local shrine.
Kanda Myōjin | COPYRIGHTS BY SIGFRID LÓPEZ / GETTY IMAGES ©
Yushima Seidō (Yushima Shrine)CONFUCIAN SITE
(湯島聖堂 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3251-4606; www.seido.or.jp; 1-4-25 Yushima, Bunkyō-ku; h9.30am-5pm Apr-Sep, to 4pm Oct-Mar; dJR Chūō or Sōbu lines to Ochanomizu, Hijiri-bashi exit)F
Established in 1691 and later used as a school for the sons of the powerful during the Tokugawa regime, this is one of Tokyo’s handful of Confucian shrines. There’s a Ming-dynasty bronze statue of Confucius in its black-lacquered main hall (Taisei-den), rebuilt in 1935. The sculpture is visible only from 1 to 4 January and on the fourth Sunday in April, but on weekends and holidays the interior of Taisei-den is accessible; at other times you can only look around the shrine grounds.
Akihabara | EASY CAMERA / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Nikolai CathedralCHURCH
(ニコライ堂 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3295-6879; www.orthodoxjapan.jp; 4-1-3 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku; ¥300; h1-4pm Apr-Sep, 1-3.30pm Oct-Mar, 1-6pm every Mon; bChiyoda line to Shin-Ochanomizu, exit 2)
This Russian Orthodox cathedral, complete with distinctive Byzantine-style architecture, was first built in 1891 under the supervision of English architect Josiah Conder. The original copper dome was damaged in the 1923 earthquake, forcing the church to downsize to the (still enormous) dome that’s now in place.
Nikolai Cathedral | JOYMSK140 / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
3331 Arts ChiyodaGALLERY
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-6803 2441; www.3331.jp/en; 6-11-14 Soto-Kanda, Chiyoda-ku; hnoon-7pm Wed-Mon; Wc; dGinza line to Suehirochō, exit 4)F
A major exhibition space, smaller art galleries and creative studios now occupy this former high school, which has morphed into a forward-thinking arts hub for Akiba. It's a fascinating place to explore. There's a good cafe and shop selling cute design items, as well as a play area for kids stocked with recycled toys and colourful giant dinosaurs made of old plastic toys.
2Local Life
A Stroll Through Kagurazaka
At the start of the 20th century, Kagurazaka was a fashionable hanamachi – a pleasure quarter where geisha entertained. Though there are far fewer geisha these days (they're seldom seen by tourists), the neighbourhood retains its glamour and charm. It's a popular destination for Tokyoites, who enjoy wandering the cobblestone lanes or whiling away time in one of the area's many cafes.
1 In The Footsteps of Geisha
Walk up Kagurazaka-dōri, turn right at Royal Host restaurant and then take the first left onto Geisha Shinmichi. This narrow lane was once where geisha lived and worked. Though it’s now home to residences and restaurants, the paving stones remain.
2 Traditional Crafts
At the end of attractive side-street Honta-yokochō is Kukuli (くくり MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-6280-8462; www.kukuli.co.jp; 1-10 Tsukudo-chō, Shinjuku-ku; h11am-7pm; dJR Yamanote line to Iidabashi, west exit), one of several shops specialising in traditional craftwork. It has hand-dyed textiles (such as scarves and tea towels) with a modern touch.
3 Cobblestone Alleyways
Winding cobblestone alley Hyogo-yokochō is the neighbourhood’s oldest and most atmospheric lane, often used in TV and movie shoots. You'll see ryōtei here: exclusive, traditional Japanese restaurants (for which Kagurazaka is famous).
4 Tea Break in an Old House
Follow the twisting stone-paved road. The old house almost covered in ivy is Mugimaru 2 (ムギマル２ MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-5228-6393; www.mugimaru2.com; 5-20 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku; coffee ¥550; hnoon-8pm Thu-Tue; bTozai line to Kagurazaka, exit 1), a favourite local hang-out. Climb the narrow staircase and grab a spot on the floor beside a low table. The speciality is manjū (steamed buns).
5 Confectioners at Work
Award-winning, 80-year-old confectioner Baikatei (梅花亭 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-5228-0727; www.baikatei.co.jp; 6-15 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku; h10am-8pm, to 7.30pm Sun; bTōzai line to Kagurazaka, exit 1) turns out gorgeous wagashi (Japanese-style sweets). Watch the chefs at work, whipping humble beans and rice into pastel flowers, from the window in the back.
6 Handmade Accessories
The ever-changing selection at Sada (貞 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3513-0851; www.sadakagura.com; 6-58 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku; hnoon-7pm; bTōzai line to Kagurazaka, exit 1) includes clothes and pretty accessories handmade in Japan. Some items are contemporary; others have a traditional Japanese feel, made with kimono material.
7 A Contemporary Shrine
Akagi-jinja (赤城神社 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3260-5071; www.akagi-jinja.jp; 1-10 Akagi-Motomachi, Shinjuku-ku; bTōzai line to Kagurazaka, exit 1), Kagurazaka’s signature shrine, only bears a passing resemblance to the traditional ones around the city. In 2010 the shrine, which can trace its history back centuries, was remodelled by Kengo Kuma, one of Japan’s most prominent architects. The result is a sleek glass box.
8 Dinner at Kado
Set in a gorgeous home, half-hidden by a wooden facade, Kado serves delicious seasonal courses (try the firefly squid in vinegar miso dressing); reservations recommended. For something light, the bar in the foyer serves dishes à la carte.
Wagashi (Japanese-style sweets) | MYKEYRUNA / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
5Eating
5Kagurazaka
KadoJAPANESE¥¥
(カド MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3268-2410; http://kagurazaka-kado.com; 1-32 Akagi-Motomachi, Shinjuku-ku; lunch/dinner set menus from ¥800/3150; h11.30am-2.30pm & 5-11pm; dTōzai line to Kagurazaka, exit 1)
Set in an old wooden house with a white lantern out front, Kado specialises in katei-ryōri (home-cooking). Dinner is a set course of seasonal dishes (such as grilled quail or crab soup). At lunch there's no English menu, so your best bet is the カド定食 (kado teishoku), the daily house special. Bookings are required for dinner.
In the entrance is a standing bar, where you can order dishes à la carte, paired with sake.
Canal CafeITALIAN¥¥
(カナルカフェ MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3260-8068; www.canalcafe.jp; 1-9 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku; lunch from ¥1600, dinner mains ¥1500-2800; h11.30am-11pm Tue-Sat, to 9.30pm Sun; v; dJR Sōbu line to Iidabashi, west exit)
Along the languid moat that forms the edge of Kitanomaru-kōen, this is one of Tokyo’s best alfresco dining spots. The restaurant serves tasty wood-fired pizzas, seafood pastas and grilled meats, while over on the self-service ‘deck side’ you can settle in with a sandwich, muffin or just a cup of coffee.
5Kanda & Akihabara
oEthiopiaJAPANESE¥
(エチオピア MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3295-4310; 3-10-6 Kanda-ogawamachi, Chiyoda-ku; curry from ¥900; h11am-10pm Mon-Fri, to 8.30pm Sat & Sun; bHanzōmon line to Jimbōchō, exit A5)
In studenty Jimbōchō, Japanese curry cafes are 10 a penny and fiercely competitive. Ethiopia is a seasoned champ, offering jumbo serves and curries packed with meat and vegetables. The spice level goes from zero to a nuclear-thermal 70! Pay at the machine as you enter the wonderfully retro shop.
KikanbōRAMEN¥
(鬼金棒 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; http://karashibi.com; 2-10-8 Kaji-chō, Chiyoda-ku; ramen from ¥800; h11am-9.30pm Mon-Sat, to 4pm Sun; dJR Yamanote line to Kanda, north exit)
The karashibi (カラシビ) spicy miso ramen here has a cult following. Choose your level of kara (spice) and shibi (a strange mouth-numbing sensation created by Japanese sanshō pepper). We recommend futsu-futsu (regular for both) for first-timers; oni (devil) level costs an extra ¥100. Look for the red door curtains and buy an order ticket from the vending machine.
Kanda Yabu SobaSOBA¥
(神田やぶそば MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3251-0287; www.yabusoba.net; 2-10 Kanda-Awajichō, Chiyoda-ku; noodles ¥670-1910; h11.30am-8.30pm; bMarunouchi line to Awajichō, exit A3)
Totally rebuilt following a fire in 2013, this is one of Tokyo's most venerable buckwheat noodle shops, in business since 1880. Come here for classic handmade noodles and accompaniments such as shrimp tempura (ten-seiro soba) or slices of duck (kamo-nanban soba).
Komaki ShokudōVEGAN¥
(こまきしょくどう MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-5577-5358; http://konnichiha.net/fushikian; Chabara, 8-2 Kanda Neribei-chō, Chiyoda-ku; set meals from ¥980; h11am-7.30pm; dJR Yamanote line to Akihabara, Electric Town exit)
A Kamakura cooking school specialising in shōjin-ryōri (Buddhist-style vegan cuisine) runs this cafe within the Chabara food market. Its nonmeat dishes are very tasty and it sells some of the ingredients used. Round off your meal with excellent coffee from Yanaka Coffee opposite.
BotanHOTPOT¥¥¥
(ぼたん MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3251-0577; http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g198900; 1-15 Kanda-Sudachō, Chiyoda-ku; set meals from ¥7300; h11.30am-9pm Mon-Sat; bMarunouchi line to Awajichō, exit A3)
Botan has been making a single, perfect dish in the same traditional wooden house since the 1890s. Sit cross-legged on rattan mats as chicken nabe (meat cooked in broth with vegetables) simmers over a charcoal brazier next to you, allowing you to take in the scent of prewar Tokyo. Try to get a seat in the handsome upstairs dining room.
6Drinking & Nightlife
oImasaCAFE
(井政 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3255-3565; www.kanda-imasa.co.jp; 2-16 Soto-Kanda, Chiyoda-ku; drinks ¥600; h11am-4pm Mon-Fri; dJR Chūō or Sōbu lines to Ochanomizu, Hijiri-bashi exit)
It's not every day that you get to sip your coffee or tea in a cultural property. Imasa is the real deal, an old timber merchant's shophouse dating from 1927 but with Edo-era design and detail, and a few pieces of contemporary furniture. Very few houses like this exist in Tokyo or are open to the public.
oCraft Beer Server LandCRAFT BEER
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-6228-1891; Okawa Bldg B1F, 2-9 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku; service charge ¥380; h5pm-midnight Mon-Fri, noon-midnight Sat & Sun; W; dJR Sōbu line to Iidabashi, west exit)
With some 14 Japanese craft beers on tap, going for a reasonable ¥500/840 a glass/pint, plus good food (the fish and chips is excellent), this brightly lit basement bar with wooden furniture and a slight Scandi feel is a winner.
Look for the English sign as you head up the slope.
Cafe AsanCAFE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-6803-0502; www.cafeasan.jp; 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan, 5-9-9 Ueno, Taitō-ku; h11.30am-7pm Thu-Tue; W; bGinza line to Suehirochō, exit 2)
With hammock-style chairs, free wi-fi and plugs for computers and smartphones, this is a popular cafe with the digital generation. Manga and anime are a subtle design theme, fitting for Akiba, but the real draw is the made-to-order soufflé hotcakes, deliciously sweet treats that are well worth waiting the 20 minutes or so they take to make.
N3331CAFE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-5295-2788; http://n3331.com; 2nd fl, mAAch ecute, 1-25-4 Kanda-Sudachō, Chiyoda-ku; h11am-10.30pm Mon-Sat, to 8.30pm Sun; dJR Yamamote line to Akihabara, Electric Town exit)
Climb the original white-tile-clad stairs to the former platform of Mansei-bashi Station to find this ultimate trainspotters' cafe. Through floor-to-ceiling windows, watch commuter trains stream by while you sip coffee, craft beer or sake and enjoy
snacks.
@Home CafeCAFE
(@ほぉ～むカフェ MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.cafe-athome.com; 4th-7th fl, 1-11-4 Soto-Kanda, Chiyoda-ku; drinks from ¥500; h11.30am-10pm Mon-Fri, 10.30am-10pm Sat & Sun; dJR Yamanote line to Akihabara, Electric Town exit)
'Maid cafes' with kawaii (cute) waitresses, dressed as saucy French or prim Victorian maids, are a stock-in-trade of Akiba. @Home is one of the more 'wholesome' of them. You’ll be welcomed as go-shujinsama (master) or o-jōsama (miss) the minute you enter. The maids serve drinks and dishes, such as curried rice, topped with smiley faces.
3Entertainment
oTokyo DomeBASEBALL
(東京ドーム MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/e; 1-3 Kōraku, Bunkyō-ku; tickets ¥2200-6100; dJR Chūō line to Suidōbashi, west exit)
Tokyo Dome (aka ‘Big Egg’) is home to the Yomiuri Giants. Love 'em or hate 'em, they're the most consistently successful team in Japanese baseball. If you’re looking to see the Giants in action, the baseball season runs from the end of March to the end of October. Tickets sell out in advance; get them early at www.giants.jp/en.
P.A.R.M.SLIVE PERFORMANCE
( GOOGLE MAP ; %012-075-9835; www.pasela.co.jp; 7th fl, Pasela Resorts Akihabara-Denkigai, 1-13-2 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; admission incl 1 drink Mon-Fri ¥1500, Sat & Sun ¥3500; hshows 5.30pm & 8.15pm Mon-Fri, 10.30am Sat & Sun; dJR Yamanote line to Akihabara, Electric Town exit)
Lonely Planet Tokyo Page 21