Yanaka is one of Tokyo’s great surprises — a neighborhood in the northern part of Taito Ward that escaped the Kanto Earthquake (1923), the Allied firebombing (1945), and the 1980s bubble-era development with its low-rise wooden townscape largely intact. Walking through Yanaka’s sloping stone-paved lanes, past small temples and family-run craft shops, is as close as Tokyo comes to its Edo-period streetscape. Yanaka is often grouped with the adjacent neighborhoods of Nezu and Yanesen (Yanaka-Nezu-Sendagi) — together forming a 2–3 hour walking itinerary through old Tokyo.
Getting to Yanaka
- Nippori Station (JR Yamanote / Keisei): The primary access point; Yanaka Cemetery and Yanaka Ginza are directly west of the station. JR Yamanote from Ueno (2 min) or Akihabara (10 min).
- Yanaka Metro (Chiyoda Line): Nezu and Sendagi stations access the southern parts of the Yanesen area.
- From Ueno: A 20-minute walk northwest from Ueno Park via the Ueno Sakuragi area passes through Ueno’s back streets into Yanaka territory.
Yanaka Cemetery (谷中霊園)
Established in 1874, Yanaka Cemetery is one of Tokyo’s oldest and most historically significant public burial grounds — over 7,000 graves including those of the last Tokugawa shogun (Yoshinobu), several Meiji-era prime ministers, prominent artists, and literary figures. But the cemetery is also Tokyo’s finest public park for a quiet walk: the main avenue flanked by 60 cherry trees is one of Tokyo’s lesser-known hanami spots (spectacular in late March without Ueno’s crowds), and the meandering paths between old stone grave monuments covered in moss and lichen create an unexpectedly beautiful urban green space. Free, open at all hours.
Yanaka Ginza (谷中銀座)
Yanaka Ginza is a 170-meter shotengai (covered shopping street) descending from the cemetery steps — one of Tokyo’s best-preserved traditional shopping streets. The shops are family-run and small: a tofu maker, a traditional confectioner making ningyo-yaki, a sake shop, a handmade comb shop, a cat-goods emporium (Yanaka is famous for cats — strays are beloved local figures, and cat motifs appear everywhere). The street has resisted chain stores and maintained its shitamachi character. Best visited on weekend afternoons when the street food stalls (menchi-katsu croquettes, yakitori) are operating and the street fills with both locals and visitors.
What to Buy in Yanaka Ginza
- Ningyo-yaki: Small sponge cakes baked in traditional doll shapes — a classic Tokyo souvenir.
- Yanaka Beer (谷中ビール): Local craft brewery’s bottles available at the Yanaka Beer Hall and several shops.
- Traditional craft tools: Several shops sell handmade brushes, combs, and small goods by local artisans.
- Cat goods: The inevitable Yanaka specialty — cat-print tenugui towels, cat ceramic figures, cat everything.
Temples and Shrines
Yanaka’s temple density is extraordinary — over 70 temples are concentrated in this small area, dating from the Edo period when the area was designated as a Buddhist temple district:
- Tennoji Temple: One of Yanaka’s main temples; the large bronze Buddha (1690) in the cemetery grounds is a notable Edo-period sculpture.
- Yanaka Reien (Seven Lucky Gods Circuit): A walking route connecting seven temples each enshrining one of the Seven Lucky Gods — a traditional New Year’s pilgrimage walk also done as a cultural walk throughout the year.
- Nezu Shrine: The large and atmospheric Shinto shrine at the southern end of Yanesen, with a smaller tunnel of vermillion torii gates (pre-dating Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari in fame but less crowded). Azalea festival in late April is one of Tokyo’s finest garden events.
The Old Townscape Architecture
What makes Yanaka uniquely valuable in Tokyo is the survival of pre-modern building types:
- Machiya (townhouses): Traditional two-story wooden merchant homes with lattice facades; many converted to cafes, galleries, and guesthouses.
- Nagaya (row houses): Attached worker housing from the Meiji-Taisho era; some still functioning as residences.
- Dozo-zukuri (clay-wall storehouses): Thick-walled fire-resistant storage buildings from merchant families.
- Saka (slopes): Yanaka’s terrain is hilly by Tokyo standards; many named slopes (Tsukimi-zaka, Satsuki-zaka) with their own character and views.
Eating and Drinking in Yanaka
- Kayaba Coffee: Historic coffee shop (established 1938, revived 2009) in a Taisho-era building — thick toast, egg salad sandwiches, old-school coffee atmosphere. A Yanaka institution.
- Yanaka Beer Hall: Craft beer bar in a converted machiya; excellent local brews, good food pairings.
- Hanten: Traditional Tokyo-style Chinese (chuka ryori) in a neighborhood setting — excellent gyoza and chahan (fried rice).
- Konditorei: Old-fashioned German-style bakery near Sendagi; unusual and wonderful.
Yanaka as a Half-Day Walk
The classic Yanaka itinerary: arrive at Nippori, enter Yanaka Cemetery → walk to the main avenue cherry trees → descend Yanaka Ginza steps → browse the shotengai → continue south through the quiet residential lanes to Nezu Shrine → walk back north via the Yanesen backstreets to Sendagi Station (Chiyoda Line). Allow 2.5–3 hours at a comfortable pace. Combine with Ueno Museum District (15 min walk) for a full cultural day in northeast Tokyo.