walking through old tokyo: nezu shrine, yanaka ginza & asakusa | tokyo vlog

walking through old tokyo: nezu shrine, yanaka ginza & asakusa | tokyo vlog

Good morning from me and this… very glowy lighting. Welcome to another day in Tokyo. Today we are going to be going to an area called Yanaka Ginza And then later this afternoon, I want to go to an area called Kappabashi so I can buy some new kitchen knives And then maybe end up somewhere near Asakusa And walk down by the river.
But – plans may change Let’s see what we get up to I will cover a lot of ground today So let’s gather some very peaceful energy at Nezu Shrine first 1 Coin Happiness!
I enjoy the idea that a drink from a vending machine = happiness All kind of interesting sights on the walk from the station to the shrine. Nezu is one of the oldest shrines in Tokyo, dating back over 1,900 years. Let’s take a little speedwalk through the entrance. It’s famous for its beautiful traditional architecture and spectacular azalea garden, which blooms vividly every spring. It also has a lengthy torii tunnel, which is always very novel for tourists (I include myself in this) It’s pretty long, so let’s go for a speedwalk through it. You may be curious about the small red bibs that statues wear at shrines. The red bibs are put on certain statues called Jizo, who are believed to protect children and travelers. People dress the statues in red because the colour is thought to keep away danger and bring good health. The grounds at Nezu were lovely. 10/10 shrubbery It’s only a 15 min walk to Yanaka Ginza from Nezu, but let’s find some lunch. Given the influx of tourists in Tokyo right now, I think it’s well worth it to really just muster up your confidence and walk into a random tiny restaurant where there isn’t a sniff of a chance to speak English If you don’t know any Japanese, just whip out Google Translate I started doing this at lunchtime and it felt a bit terrifying but also like you were experiencing something a bit nostalgic… and a bit more culturally authentic Every single one of these shops was cash-only though, which can be prohibitive Today’s ramen was ok, but the experience quite memorable as it was a very blue-collar establishment …with some very interesting reading material on offer Finally made it to Yanaka Ginza! Yanaka Ginza is a retro shopping street in Tokyo known for its traditional snacks, local shops, and old-town charm. I’d not been before and so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but there were a lot of tourists there! It seems the popular thing to do was eat so I did partake in some snacking. Immediately after ice cream, I headed to the bakery across the street (because, treat yo’self) I bought some hard and crusty toast to snack on later (I do not know why I chose that. It wasn’t particularly good) After Yanaka Ginza, I passed through Tennoji Temple and Yanaka Cemetery. My legs are getting a serious workout today Yanaka Cemetery is a peaceful, tree-lined spot in Tokyo known for its cherry blossoms and historic graves including that of Japan’s last shogun. Time for another treat? Time for another treat. Gorgeous weather means sitting out on the terrace. I can’t drink caffeinated coffee (and most cafes in Japan don’t serve decaf) so I order hot chocolates when I’m in Japan. Next phase of the journey was onwards to Kappabashi via Ueno Park. I sat here for a while and ate the crusty dry toast that I bought earlier and then kept on walking. Everywhere in Tokyo looks so close on the map…because Tokyo is large Only another 40 min walk from my hot chocolate to Kappabashi 🥲 But grateful to see a side of Tokyo I hadn’t before (and thankfully there were washrooms along the way!) Tokyo Skytree ahead in the distance Kappabashi is Tokyo’s kitchen street where you can find everything from dishes to chef knives to those amazing plastic food models you see in restaurant windows. My main goal here today is to buy some new Japanese steel knives, but let’s see what else we can find. A fair number of the shops here have a very retro vibe, which I loved. It feels like a place that hasn’t changed much over the years, but given the number of tourist crowds there, I suspect it will likely gentrify in time, at least for the most popular shops Gorgeous dishes! Kama-Asa is the busiest knife shop on the street, and arguably the most famous (they’ve also got a location in Paris) The shop is modern and roomy and has excellent customer service I bought two knives here. I must say, I did find the same knives I bought here further down the street, in older shops, for cheaper Kajiwara Kitchen Supply was one of my favourite shops – it was nearly empty and I bought absolutly nothing there, but they had everything you could want including very polite sales staff, a very retro café and impeccable 70s & 80s vibes. If you like practical and useful souvenirs, then there is a plethora to be found on Kappabashi. Kitchen World TDI was another shop where I dropped a bunch of money – they had items that I found elsewhere at design shops during the week for much higher prices. When you only need to spend ¥5,500 (£29) in order to get your tax back, it’s really not hard to justify. Knife Shop TDI was my second stop for knives – great prices and absolutely delightful salespeople who all spoke amazing English. Of course, I had to stop by the giant Niimi head at Kikuyabashi because it’s epic. I continued on to Asakusa to finish off my itinerary for the day (mind over matter babes!) I’ve not spent much time in Asakusa over the past few years as I’ve been to Senso-ji many times. I’m here for two (free) activities I’ve not done before 1) The Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center viewpoint on the 8th floor; and and 2) The Sumida River Walk Let’s go to the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center first. Views to the Sumida River, Sky Tree, and Asakusa Shrine/Senso-ji. Finally, I made my way to the river. An absolutely fabulous view of the “golden poo” (real name “Asahi Flame”, which tops the Asahi Beer Hall) There is a great loop you can walk through Sumida Park, across the Sumida River Walk, then alongside Azumabashi Pier and the back across Azuma Bridge. I totally lucked out with a gorgeous golden hour hue for my walk. Let’s head back for some dinner. Time to carb load. What I love about Yomenya Goemon is that you can order different sizes of pasta depending on how hungry you are. Greasy, but delicious. I don’t know how I have energy, but I crossed the road for an hour of karaoke. I love karaoke! Why wait for a group to go with when you can go alone? Let’s sing! (this singing section isn’t too long, don’t worry) Hand to stand a bit to really project for those difficult notes What a blast! I loved today, so thank you for coming along with me. and I’ll see you in the next one!

Join me for a peaceful yet vibrant day exploring Tokyo on foot, from historic Nezu Shrine to bustling Asakusa. This Tokyo travel vlog takes you through charming neighborhoods like Yanaka Ginza, Tennoji Temple, and the atmospheric Yanaka Cemetery. Watch as I enjoy a delicious ramen lunch, sip hot chocolate at Hanaju, shop for kitchen goods in Kappabashi, and soak in sunset views by the Sumida River. We end the evening with pasta and Tokyo karaoke fun! If you love Tokyo walking tours, solo travel vlogs, and aesthetic Japan videos, this 13-minute journey is for you.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:16 Nezu Shrine
03:56 Suehiro Ramen
04:19 Yanaka Ginza
04:46 komichi ice cream
04:56 hitotema bakery
05:37 Tennoji Temple
05:51 Yanaka Cemetary
06:01 Hanaju cafe
06:20 Ueno Park
07:01 Kappabashi
09:35 Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center
10:07 Sumida River Walk
11:38 Yomenya Goemon
11:54 Karaoke Kan

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