Yanesen (Downtown Area), Tokyo

“Yanesen” (Downtown Area of Tokyo) is a soothing tourist destination that makes you feel the downtown. It is a popular tourist spot where you can take a leisurely walk along the streets of an atmosphere that you can’t imagine being in the center of Tokyo.
The old Yanesen area, wherever you looked, was a place that had not been attacked during the war 70 years ago. To that end, the scenery from the prewar period, including the temple town of Yanaka, has been preserved. If you go around the sightseeing spots, you can feel the atmosphere of Tokyo in the early Showa era in many places such as Yanaka.
Yanesen is a recommended tourist destination for those who want to take a leisurely walk in Tokyo. You can eat while walking around sightseeing spots in a town full of the atmosphere of the downtown area. You can enjoy half a day or one day.
Just walking along the alley, Yanesen may not get bored with such a walk. However, in Yanaka and Nezu, historical shrines and temples stand out, and there are many trees and landscapes including Yanaka Cemetery. Yanesen’s way of walking will make you feel even more sightseeing if you consider the temples and nature of Yanaka.
Nezu Shrine has become a symbol of Yanesen and is popular for its red roof and Senbon Torii. Seven shrines are registered as national important cultural properties and are said to have been built 1900 years ago. The precincts are filled with green nature, making it a valuable healing space in Tokyo. You can also see the scenery that changes the expression every season.
Senbon Torii is popular when you can take powerful pictures, and a small shrine appears when you pass through Senbon Torii. In addition, about 3000 azaleas bloom from late April to mid-May, and the azalea festival is held. It is recommended because there are street stalls with the atmosphere of downtown and you can enjoy the scenery of azalea while walking around.
Yanaka Ginza is a tourist spot that is indispensable for a walk on Yanesen, and it is a shopping street where you can eat while feeling the atmosphere of downtown. Although it is a short shopping street, there are many pleasant places and delicious shops in the downtown area. On weekdays it is crowded with locals, but on weekends there are many tourists and it becomes a lively shopping street.

Highly recommended for visiting as a sightseeing

The good old city streets of Tokyo are left, “Yanesen”. This city filled with emotions of a downtown is highly recommended for visiting as a sightseeing because there are many spots where you can know the quaint old private houses, fashionable cafes, historic temples and downtown culture.
The word “Yanesen” was originally called as an abbreviation for the regional magazine “Yanaka · Nezu · Sendagi” that was launched in 1984. It seems that it has become widely used as a generic name of the area around Yanaka · Nezu · Sendagi. The area around Yanesen is a downtown that leaves old-fashioned landscapes because it avoided raids during wartime and subsequent redevelopment. The retro atmosphere of the cityscape became a popular spot.
Yanesen is a town where you can meet lots of cats, as it is also known as “the city of a cat”. Just a short walk, you see a cat in and around the town. There are also shops selling candy and sundries that are related to cats, and you can say that it is exactly “the city of a cat”. It’s a perfect mascot for Yanesen, where slow time flows.
In Tokyo, where the landscape turns swiftly, Yanesen leaves the old figure. In this town where time flows slowly, you can relax and enjoy the daily fatigue by having a relaxing walk. When visiting Tokyo, why not try enjoying the charm of downtown Yanesen by all means.

Full of the history and emotion

“Yanesen” is around Yanaka, Nezu, Sendagi district of whole area from Bunkyo-ku to Taito-ku.
“Yanesen”, a center of the 23 wards of Tokyo, it is an area occupying the corner of so-called “hilly section”, it still leave the taste as the downtown area of Tokyo, and cityscape full of the history and emotion.

Following from the Edo era

After having enjoyed a traditional mall in Yanaka Ginza, let’s proceed to a symbol of Yanesen, the mud wall with a roof of Kanonji Temple. This is the earthen wall which piled up a tile and soil in turn, and cover a roof with tiles, it conveys taste of Teramachi Yanaka following from the Edo era.

National Important Cultural Property

It is the next station by a train from the Nezu Shinto shrine which is famous for an azalea to the Kyu-Iwaski-tei-teien (the former Iwasaki Residence Park). The Kyu-Iwaski-tei-teien built in 1896, and the whole site of it is designated as a National Important Cultural Property.

Nation’s tangible cultural property

Kushiage(*) restaurant “Han-Tei” is a building of “wooden 3 stories” to represent around Nezu. You can feel the atmosphere of the old good times from its appearance. It is registered as a nation’s tangible cultural property.
* : Bite sized meat, sea food and vegetables are put on a skewer, one ingredient on one skewer, breaded and deep-fried.

Nostalgic, and new

While leaving the air of the good old downtown area of Tokyo, on the other hand the new shops are increasing. You can taste the expression of such a town which “nostalgic, and new”.

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