A Different Face of Tokyo: Yanaka

Yanaka (谷中) is located roughly between Nippori and Ueno, in Tokyo’s old downtown district of Taito. It is a place unlike any other I know in Tokyo, a place where time seems to have stood still since the days of “old Japan”. We had fallen upon this place by pure chance a year ago, but unfortunately my camera had run out of battery just then. So we returned there this year, camera in hand.
Yanaka seems to be an enchanted island in the glitzy, modern and bustling Tokyo. One suddenly seems to be transported to a small rural town with old wood houses with lattice windows. Apart from the old part of Kyoto, I have seen places like this only in small villages in the countryside. Dozens of temples with adjacent cemeteries are sprinkled around the area, making it very calm and green.
The occasional small shop selling charming handicrafts can be found, but apart from temples, the quarter is mostly quiet and residential with almost no car traffic in its narrow streets.
Due to a large number of semi-stray cats living around the big Yanaka cemetery, which are taken care of by local residents, there are also a few exclusively cat-themed shops. The Japanese are generally fond of cat characters, and these shops are a huge trap for a cat-lover like me (on our recent outing, I only acquired, umm, four cat-themed objects (from as many different shops), namely an apron, a woodblock print, a phone strap and a cup).
I guess you could call Yanaka Tokyo’s “Little Kyoto”, even though this term gets overused for touristic exploitation in many places. What is special about Yanaka is its authentic feeling, it is the way it is and not retrofitted for showing off to tourists. Yanaka is definitely off the beaten track and you will see few visitors. If you only get to spend time in Tokyo, it is an ideal way to get a glimpse of the other Japan than what is shown in the media. The one that has survived in quiet country towns.
And you can get your fill of Buddhist temples. Most of them are small, but have well-kept greenery around them, giving them a serene and almost tropical feeling.

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