Jan 22, 2015 - 1 min read

The Streets of Kagurazaka

Perfect for your Eat, Pray and Love experience in Japan

By Victoria Simkovic

Community writer

The ideal day in Kagurazaka would go something like this: First of all, you must visit Tokyo Daijingu Shrine and ask the local deities for their cooperation in your love life matters.

Now you have my blessing, and you can finally begin exploring the streets of Kagurazaka.

Like anywhere else in Japan, you can find dozens of small shrines tucked in all the corners of the neighborhood.

Don't forget to pay attention to all the small things around you. Only then you can find some local gems...

....like for example this lovely piece of Tokyo's architecture. However, it's probably useless to try and find some logic behind these sort of constructions.

And here we have the building next door...the harmony of it all!

Kagurazaka is packed with  Western, especially French restaurants, as it seems there are two French schools in the area. At some point, you discover this very Western-looking (this time Italian-looking) street. The next thing you know, is that you are the luckiest person in Tokyo. This street leads to the most amazing gelateria in the whole of Tokyo (said very subjectively), named Theobroma.

You are not allowed to leave Kagurazaka until you try the pistachio gelato with mixed nuts.

Not a nuts-person? Not a problem. There is a variety of flavors available (not a surprise).

After you fill your tummy up with this creamy deliciousness, go out onto the main street and take a left down the slope. If it's a weekend, the gorgeous aroma will hit your nose after just a few steps. For those who are tea maniacs like me, you will be happy to discover a traditional Hojicha Tea Roast machine outside of a local tea shop, smelling all over the place and roasting those leaves non-stop.

Now, as for the souvenirs: You can get all you need in Kagurazaka. There are plenty of professional craft shops, as well as cheap shops for budget travelers.

If you are still fascinated with everything reportedly traditional Japanese looking, there is no better place for you to be.

You will feel obliged to buy something-cat-related. It's Japan after all.

Cat images can be seen on literally every second shelve of every store.

Here is a great idea: Put some ice in the small bubble-like space. Then fill the bottle with whatever you want: beer, wine or just tea. Your hot summers have just become much more enjoyable.

Everything has to be cute in Japan.

"No worries, something will come out of it".

If you go into the dark, narrow back alleys of Kagurazaka slope, you will find yourself facing some very traditional-looking restaurants, which are sadly very hard to get into.

There are no sounds coming out of the restaurant whatsoever. No menu displayed outside. It is hard to tell what is this place to begin with. Only after you look up the name on Google, you realize that this is a very high-class place and tourists might not be that welcome here. Nevertheless, it is always a pleasure to go for a walk on these silent streets, that allow you to travel in time into the ancient capital of Japan.

You can get a pretty good idea how the streets of Edo used to look like.

Finally, we located a restaurant with a simple name, Kado, that seemed more-or-less welcoming, with a menu being displayed outside and the door not being shut-dead.

Now, you have to be careful not to make the same mistake my friends and I made with our order. I will share the blame for this with the waiter, who was a bit useless when explaining the menu to us (obvious foreigners, who might need some extra assistance). For the dinner time, you have to choose a set. One set is ¥1500, another is ¥3000. Being cheap as we are, my friends and I automatically went for the cheaper one, without even looking at what was in it (well, we did look, doesn't mean we understood much; this is where the waiter comes in usually). We ended up with two tiny trays with a minimum amount of beautifully served food: some rice, some fish, some bean curd. We were starving to be honest. At the same time the group of lively ladies next to us were enjoying a feast for ¥3000, continuously taking pictures of their juicy meat and fragrant fish dishes.

The inside however, made me, a fanatic of all Japanese things, go crazy excited.

When seated right next to a shelf packed with massive jars of home-made wine, it's a crime not to try some. Do that, plus, order the feast-like set for ¥3000, and you can have a very Japanese experience of eating at home—a very Edo-style, traditional Japanese home.

I love exploring Tokyo and Kagurazaka is the area I keep returning to. It offers me everything I usually look for in any area I visit: a variety of restaurants and cafes, shops that sell very Japanese goods, at least three major shrines, nice night and morning views—especially at the Canal Cafe (located at the river just outside of the Iidabashi Station), plenty of traditional architecture and lively atmosphere. It's perfect for hanging out with a group of friends. It can also make a super romantic date for couples. It will inject you with a dose of Japanese culture, that I am sure we all love (hence visiting this website).

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Victoria Simkovic

By Victoria Simkovic

Community writer

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Elena Lisina

Elena Lisina 5 years ago

It reminds Gion of Kyoto! I especially liked Japanese pottery.

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Elena Lisina

Elena Lisina 5 years ago

I'd buy a mug with two cats!

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Cathy Cawood

Cathy Cawood 9 years ago

This area looks great! I will visit there, and I'll definitely try the pistachio ice-cream!

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Victoria Simkovic

Victoria Simkovic Photographer 9 years ago

Please do haha it's Valentine's day soon as well, in Japan this means that you might want to give choco to your

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Iain Stanley

Iain Stanley 9 years ago

I love the Canal Cafe - always stop there when I'm in Tokyo

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