Kagurazaka

It’s not just Tokyo, but all across Japan the amount of foreign tourists are increasing. The 2020 Olympics are to be set in Tokyo, and because of that the Japan National Tourist Organization is putting a lot of time into showing off how attractive Japan is and trying to bring many more people to visit the land of the rising sun. It’s nice to see the amount of people in Japan increase and many getting to enjoy this country that I love. Having said that, there are many people now who are coming to Japan strictly for the purpose of shopping and don’t bother trying to come into any sort of contact with Japanese culture. Because of this, depending on the location, there are many spots in Japan where the amount of foreign visitors who don’t respect Japanese culture and don’t act as Japanese people do are increasing. Seeing as Tokyo is the most visited city in Japan, there are many places here in where there are so many foreigners that are (at least I find) difficult to enjoy. In spite of this, there are also many places in Tokyo where there aren’t many foreign visitors and are places in where you can really get to enjoy Japan. These places are no secret, and without a doubt pop up on tourist websites focusing on Japan and in guide books. I’m not sure why there aren’t many tourists in these spots, but I guess that for those who are only in Japan for the sole purpose of shopping that there isn’t any particular item or items in these areas that they’re after. 

One of these places in where there aren’t many foreign tourists is Kagurazaka. Kagurazaka is in the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo and stretches from the intersection of Waseda street and Okubo street until the intersection of Sotobori street. Long ago, the hill from Iidabashi station where Kagurazaka now lies was apparently where the outer moat of Edo castle lied. For many who’ve visited Kagurazaka before it may just happen to feel like an area where a few traditional Japanese buildings lie, but it's actually an area full of history. There are also, believe it or not, two French schools in the area, so there are a large number of French people there. While wondering around the streets of Kagurazaka you’ll find a number of stores selling French goods. This is an area in where without a doubt those from Tokyo have been to before, but for those that haven’t been, by all means visit Kagurazaka and come a little bit more into contact with some traditional Japanese culture.



Here, you can enjoy the famous treat known as the pekochan yaki. A delicious treat in the shape of Peko (the girl in the top left corner) that contains a number of different delicious flavors.



Yum! 😋


This is a store that my girlfriend wanted to visit. This store sells a number of delicious Japanese-style deserts, including a matcha flavored pudding in which we took home with us! Yum!



On the day I visited Kagurazaka there just happened to be some sort of festival taking place. A number of people were playing a traditional instrument known as a 三味線 (shamisen).


I'd been to Kagurazaka before, but I'd never gotten a 御朱印 (goshuin), a type of stamp/seal written at temples and shrines in Japan, written at this temple. I stopped by and got a goshuin written.




This is the goshuin I had written.


The main reason I went to Kagurazaka this time was to go to a cafe specializing in tea, a cafe known as Saryo.





You can't go to a cafe specializing in tea without ordering matcha. This is a matcha late, and I gotta say, matcha is all you need for supreme bliss.



There are many stores such as this that specialize in tea and what not.


I saw this is another store. Maybe these guys are 2 of the shichi fukujin (the seven lucky gods)?



These Japanese sweets are separated based upon a few famous Japanese people. I thought it was neat.


I don't know who this boy is supposed to be, but he was on one of the sidewalks.


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