Tokyo Prefecture: Nippori and Yanaka Ginza Street | Taito City

Yanaka is an unusual place for most of the tourists, though the location is easy to reach as it just behind the Nippori Station (Yamanote line). It is an old town in the north part of Tokyo that managed to survive the earthquakes and bombings during World War. This place is known as “Cat Town” to the locals as there are many stray cats around the town.

The main street is called Yanaka Ginza where you will see shops selling old/traditional Japanese items and unique cat-related stuffs. There are also food stations if you want to grab a bite. As you walk the street of Yanaka Ginza you will see a lot of cat statues and related cat signs. 

Unlike Takeshita Street in Harajuku, the Yanaka Ginza is a quiet street. If you are looking for a not crowded place with a twist of old Japanese town, this is one of the place to be. 

During our visit, there were kids doing Japanese Taiko Drumming. Here's a short video clip:

If you plan to visit Yanaka, do not miss the view of multiple train tracks in Nippori station. This is one of the amazing things you will discover about transportation system in Japan. 

And of course, if you get tired and hungry, take a few minutes walk to grab some Ramen near Nippori Station. I don't know the name as it is in Japanese, but here's the screenshot in Google map for your reference. 

We visited this Ramen bar multiple times so I highly recommend it. Once inside, you will see No Ramen, No Life banner. :)) Itadakimasu!
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