Top choice in Ueno & Yanesen
Long-time Yanaka resident Allan West, a graduate of Japan's prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts, paints gorgeous screens and scrolls in the classical Japanese styles, making his paints from scratch, just as local artists have done for centuries. Small votive-shaped paintings start at ¥5000; the screens are, uh, a lot more. Non-buyers are welcome to stop in to see the works.
Look for the dark wood, post and beam facade and sliding doors.
0.51 MILES
If you visit only one museum in Tokyo, make it the Tokyo National Museum. Here you'll find the world's largest collection of Japanese art, including…
11.24 MILES
This museum is the heart of the Studio Ghibli world, a beloved (even 'adored') film studio responsible for classic, critically-acclaimed animated titles…
4.02 MILES
Golden Gai – a Shinjuku institution for over half a century – is a collection of tiny bars, often literally no bigger than a closet and seating maybe a…
5.72 MILES
Rumoured to be the busiest intersection in the world (and definitely in Japan), Shibuya Crossing is like a giant beating heart, sending people in all…
19.73 MILES
This impressively slick attraction is dedicated to, you guessed it, cup noodles. But in reality, its focus is more broad, with numerous exhibitions…
4.36 MILES
Digital-art collective teamLab has created 60 artworks for this museum, open in 2018, that tests the border between art and the viewer: many are…
2.81 MILES
The Imperial Palace occupies the site of the original Edo-jō, the Tokugawa shogunate's castle. In its heyday this was the largest fortress in the world,…
1.68 MILES
Tokyo’s most visited temple enshrines a golden image of Kannon (the Buddhist goddess of mercy), which, according to legend, was miraculously pulled out of…
0.03 MILES
The deity at this temple is Nichika-sama, also known as the 'god of strong legs'; for this reason the temple is popular with runners.
0.09 MILES
Before the 1860s, only samurai lords could see these fascinating clocks, called wadokei, that tell time according to variable hours named after animals of…
0.14 MILES
One of Yanaka's many ambient temples, this is home to an ancient chinquapin tree that's been designated a national monument. Ask someone from the temple…
0.15 MILES
This 200-year-old bathhouse is now an avant-garde gallery, showcasing Japanese and international artists: the vaulted space just as suited for…
0.18 MILES
This century-old liquor shop (which operated until 1986) has been returned to its original state, but as a museum of bygone Tokyo, with old sake barrels,…
0.24 MILES
One of Tokyo’s largest graveyards, Yanaka-reien is the final resting place of more than 7000 souls, many of whom were quite well known in their day. It’s…
0.26 MILES
This small, peaceful temple, one of many scattered around Yanaka, houses one of the seven gods of good fortune, Juro-jin.
0.28 MILES
This Yanaka temple is known for its part in the story of the 47 ronin (masterless samurai). It was here that they plotted to avenge their master (the…