5 distinctive places in Tokyo you can't miss

In Tokyo, many small neighborhoods less well-known among tourists are worth seeing. Let's discover interesting yet reasonable places like alleys with a traditional atmosphere. You can stroll those places to discover another Tokyo.

Akabane is little well-known among tourists, yet the town is full of surprises. It is located north of Tokyo, on the Sumida river banks. For the budget minded, this place is ideal as it is teeming with small alleys filled with Izakaya and other very cheap restaurants. Izakaya serves dishes: Gyoza, Yakitori, Nasu (eggplant) with miso (soy paste), Karaage (fried chicken), Gomaae (green beans with sesame paste), Tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette), and the Agedashi tofu (fried tofu). Each of these delicious dishe will be accompanied by a draft beer (Nama biru) or Japanese sake. All will be charged so cheap that you can visit many of these Japanese bistros by strolling through the picturesque streets of these places. You will get there very easily and quickly on foot from Akabane station.

There is a small and lively area that you should not miss while visiting Tokyo. Located on Tozai or Oedo subway line, you will stop at the Kagurazaka or Iidabashi station which are the most convenient. Outside these shops, Kagurazaka is a neighborhood where you might get lost. The houses around are beautiful, along alleys where there is a soothing calm atmosphere. The main street of this district is Kagurazaka dori. This is where you'll find all the bustling life, quaint shops, Izakaya, karaoke, cafes, and all the beautiful hidden alleyways that snake around. You will discover by surprise many nice restaurants and bars. In summer, Kagurazaka (Kagurazaka matsuri) welcomes many visitors who come to relax and enjoy local foods: Yakisoba (BBQ noodles with vegetables), Takoyaki (dumplings stuffed with octopus), Yakitori (chicken skewers) and others. You will come across some very beautiful temples like the Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Buddhist temple along the Kagurazaka dori street, or the Akagi temple, where the most famous neighborhood festivals are often held. A little further, towards Iidabashi, do not miss to admire the Tokyo Daijingu shrine, a superb temple of great importance in the Shinto religion.

You can spend half a day without getting bored in Nakano. When you leave the station, you will immediately reach its shopping mall. You'll find plenty of souvenirs, lunch in cheap restaurants, have fun in the game centers, relax in small cafes, but the most interesting is a little further in the complex called Nakano Broadway. It is a building on 4 floors full of shops of all kinds, which will delight fans of manga culture, or cosplay because there are many products of this kind and a Mandarake store (second-handed Manga book store). This gallery also has high-tech shops at competitive prices, and its basement has many Tachigui (restaurants where you eat standing) and small grocery stores. In the evening, stroll through the narrow streets that surround the shopping arcade, where there are many yakitori restaurants, sake bars and izakaya of all kinds.

A little further west of Nakano, Kichijoji is a neighborhood for Inokashira Park where many people gethere to admire cherry blossoms in spring. There is a small lake in the middle where you can rent a boat or pedal boat (swan-shaped) to enjoy the peace of this little corner of nature. It is possible to rest also in one of the cafes bordering the lake. Otherwise, Kichijoji is best known for the nearby Ghibli Museum. Please note that a reservation in advance (at least 1 month) is necessary to contemplate this wonderful place honoring the works of this world famous animation studio. Kichijoji has many shopping streets, where you can stroll among the vintage shops, bookstores, cafes ... In the evening, Harmonica Yokocho district will offer you a typical evening, its narrow streets hiding many bars and restaurants in good value for money.

To the west of Tokyo, just a stone's throw from Shibuya and Shinjuku, you'll find the bustling Shimokitazawa area. It is a very trendy young neighborhood where there are many vintage stores, thrift stores, vinyl shops, also concert halls, theaters, and art theaters. This area of Tokyo was spared by the bombings of World War II, and became at that time a market frequented by American veterans. It remains today also spared skyscrapers, and keeps its atmosphere of small lively city. There are also all kinds of cheap restaurants (ramen, udon, soba, etc.), as well as very good coffee sold in small stalls. There are also original bookstore stores called "books and beer" which as the name suggests offer the opportunity to stroll through the bookstore while enjoying a local beer!
 

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