Can A 5 Year Old Drink Mylanta

Shitamachi, the downtown Tokyo

While districts Hills Yamanote (山 手) sheltered areas of the nobility during the Edo Era, the plain north of Tokyo (东京) was the plebeian heart of the city. Shitamachi (下町) or lower town then known near Nihonbashi (日本 桥), Ginza (银座) and Ueno (上 野), but the word is now used for all districts in north of a line Shinjuku (新宿) - Ginza (银座). The word was echoed in other major Japanese cities to designate similar locations. Just minutes from metro to leave the center of modern Tokyo, shopping and trendy, and immerse themselves in those delicious neighborhoods outdated and quiet, a perfect antidote to the bustle of the city.

Shitamachi does not offer spectacular sights, but the Japanese city of islands with their traditional chaos of small houses, often decorated with potted plants. The shops are as venerable as their owners. Between houses, many small shops are still present, as well as traditional sento (銭 汤), recognizable by their collective bathroom fireplace. The aged population is rather because few young people want to live in these places do not offer all the modern facilities despite a central location. For the walker, these streets are a great relic of Japan after the war when it was still great prosperous country today. The modest homes and shops is a good indicator of the relative frugality experienced by the generation now retired. The most pleasant is be lost at random from the streets. A compass can be very useful to track the desired direction and return after a few minutes walk, a major thoroughfare easy to locate.

An interesting walk starts Iidabashi Station (饭 田 桥). He is to visit the "lower town" but we will take first the rise of "Kagurazaka (神 楽 坂), a rather trendy Tokyo neighborhood, with a slight French connotation. If you're feeling adventurous, the many steep streets are certainly worthy of a detour. After two turns on the left, we will take the avenue of "Waseda Dori (早稲田 通り) on the right, past the subway station and walk from Kagurazaka half an hour through the quiet neighborhood of Tokyo. We'll go to the subway station Waseda, to reach the main campus of the private university in the country "Waseda Daigaku" (早 稲 田 大学). The latter has an excellent level, but the image of American universities, it is also possible for the rich "son" to return to it following the expensive courses from primary school through the school. At the crossroads "Nishi-Waseda (西 早 稲 田), we take right towards the north to reach the first objective: the terminus of the tram line" Arakawa (荒 川 线). You had many suspected that the march was an excuse to get on a train and you were right.

This venerable line is one of two survivors of the tram network in the city of Tokyo (with the line Tokyu Stegaya ). It passes through many neighborhoods underserved by public transportation. It runs 50 minutes and 13 kilometers across the north slowly the city from west to east to the terminus Minowabashi (三ノ輪 橋). This is an excellent way to explore neighborhoods that do not appear on any tourist guide. On the way, we can stop at Otsuka (大 冢) and go from there to Sugamo (巣 鸭), the "old neighborhood" located at a train station. Park Rikugien (六 义 园) a short visit, and the amazing garden Kyu-FurukawaTeien (旧 古河 庭园), an amazing mansion in this popular location. The tram should be covered to the terminus, whose architecture is interesting: the station is surrounded by shopping malls that give it an air of small provincial town. Want the tram line, which is now challenged by the more modern "Fukutoshin (副 都 心) and" Nippori - Tonari Liner (日暮里 舎人 ライナー,) is not dismantled. Minowabashi (三ノ輪 橋) is close to the famous "ghetto" of "San'ya (山谷) whose visit is not recommended: there are poor workers and elderly, almost exclusively male, often day laborers on construction sites, and never far from becoming homeless. Unlike the inhabitants modest but socially integrated Shitamachi, they will not like necessarily your visit.

After taking the subway, we will meet at Ueno (上 野), the great urban center of Tokyo's most popular. It was indeed the destination station for immigrants coming from poor areas of Tohoku. The area is famous for its park, and it includes, in addition to the charming National Museum, a small museum of "Shitamachi" which traces the life of neighborhoods. It is located to the southeast end of the pond of Ueno, near the Keisei station (京 成). From Ueno, a nice walk is to get to Yanaka (谷中). Heading towards the bottom of Ueno Park (National Museum), we will take the left (north west) street through the park before the national museum. It leads directly to Yanaka cemetery across one of the quietest parts of the city. It is then easy to reach the station Nippori (日暮 里), and make the transition from the small shopping street "Yanaka Ginza."

Since

Ueno, it is also possible to get a Kappabashi (合 羽 桥). This area brings together the kitchen equipment stores in the city. So the best place to find a stroke a little unusual or original cake forms. Many shops were built decades ago and atmosphere deserves the trip even if you do not want attachments. The area surrounding urbanization is old, but the atmosphere very popular.

Other neighborhoods deserve a chance to walk the streets. Hongo (本 郷) is a small oasis of peace in two not the Tokyo Dome. It is also near the university area of Tokyo, which is reached by a pleasant walk to the north. The area east of Tokyo University, just across the avenue HongoDori is well preserved, especially the many apartments in the woods two or three floors, including the famous Khan Hongo (本 郷 馆, close to the address Hongo 6-20 (6 本 郷 丁目 20). Nezu (根 津) also deserves a short visit. The district is located in a little valley traversed by a pleasant shopping street will bring you up-Nishi Nippori (西 日暮 里).

It will take a bit out of the neighborhood, but the Edo Tokyo Museum, a strange structure that resembled a dinosaur or some gear Star Wars, will nicely complement a vista Shitamachi. This beautiful museum presents the life of Tokyo during the Edo period a few centuries ago, and will conclude in a big way your discovery of the lower city.

Practical Information

places presented here certainly deserve more than a day to visit.

Shitamachi Museum (下町 风俗 资料 馆): 2-1 Ueno Koen, Tokyo, 〒 110-0007
Ueno Park, Taito Ward No. 1 No. 2, Entrée: 300 Yens, ouvert tous les jours sauf le lundi et lors du congé de nouvelle année., Tel: +81 7451 3823 3 site (en japonais) . A proximité de la gare de Ueno (JR Yamanote et métro lignes Hibiya (Hibiya Line) & Ginza (Ginza Line)

Edo-Tokyo Museum (Edo-Tokyo Museum): 1-4 - 1 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0015, Tel 03-3626-9974, ouvert tous les jours sauf le lundi de 9.30 à 5.30 et jusqu'à 19.30 le samedi. Entrée: 600 Yens. Des guides volontaires proposent des visites intéressantes, et certains parlent même français. Accès par la ligne Sobu (Sobu) et par la ligne Oedo (Oedo Line), station Ryogoku (Ryougoku), site (en anglais) .

Toden Arakawasen (荒川線 tram): Billet adulte à 160 Yens, départs de Waseda (Waseda) ou Minowabashi (Minowabashi) de 6 heures du matin à 23h environ, un train toutes les 5 ou 6 minutes en heure de pointe, site (en japonais) . Accès à Minowabashi par la ligne de métro Hibiya (Hibiya Line).

Parc Rikugien (六義園): Bunkyo-ku, Hon-Komagome, Rokuchome 〒 113-0021 Honkomagome six-chome, Bunkyo-ku, Ouvert de 9h à 17h (dernière entrée 16h30), fermé entre le 29 décembre et le premier janvier., entrée: 300 Yens. Site (en japonais) . A proximité des gares JR Yamanote de Sugamo et Komagome (Komagome), aussi desservi par la ligne de métro Nanboku (Nanboku).

Parc Kyu-FurukawaTeien (Kyu Furukawa Gardens) : Nishigahara Ichome, kita-ku, Tokyo 〒 114-0024 chome, Kita-ku Nishigahara Ouvert 9h-17h (last admission 16:30), closed between December 29 and January 1., admission: 150 yen. Website (Japanese) . Close to train stations and Komagome Nishigaoka (subway Nanboku)