Who says you can’t enjoy both the traditional and modern things in Tokyo?
Yanaka-ginza is near Nippori station in Tokyo
Many people transfer through this station to get to Narita airport
So I've arrived in Nippori Station and
Yanaka Ginza Street is approximately 3 to 5 minutes away by walk
So, it's already really local and really residential when you get out of the station
so I'm looking forward to the local shops that are here
When you first arrive you will see these stairs
which are very popular for seeing the sunset
Also this area is very popular for its stray cats
So I have arrived and that's the sign up there
Yanaka-Ginza street is a popular shopping street with about 70 small shops
and stretching around 170 meters long
This downtown area survived the earthquakes and wars
so you can still experience the traditional older feeling of Tokyo
As you walk a long the streets
you can see Japanese people doing their normal everyday shopping and errands
so there's a little bit of everything practical here
This is a great way to see how the locals live and avoid the tourist crowds
There are also many goods and souvenirs sold here
so you should also check that out
So there's lots of street food here
and I think I'm going to have this one behind me
If you come to Yanaka-Ginza you must try the street food
They try to keep it affordable for the locals so its all around 100 yen or so
The next shop I went to, is this one right here
and they sell donuts shaped like a cats tail
and they have different flavours like
custard, chocolate, red bean and much more
These shops are not only popular with the locals
but also many Japanese celebrities come here
So I was trying to take a photo of this
the thing I just got and then it just snapped
and I don't know if you guys can see it but it just snapped off
and it fell on the ground
Looks like tigger from winnie the pooh
looks like his tail
These are also some very popular shops on the street
this one has red bean inside
and obento that tastes better than your local convenient shops
and don't forget to take a selfie with the cats
So now we're going to walk to the next location which is Sendagi
So actually Yanaka-Sendagi-Nezu make up the area called Yanesen which is basically their names combined
and it's a great traditional local area to take a stroll around
I'm kinda lost ...
Found this machine
If you put 1000 yen inside, you don't know which one you will get but you will get a prize
and there's some really good ones and some booby prizes
Since the Edo era this part of Tokyo has been famous for artisan and craftsman
so you should find some really interesting interesting shops here
I went to this shop that crafts their own candy, one of the very few who do in Japan nowadays
When you first go in, the walls are lined with hard candy in all shapes and colours
You can either buy the pre-made ones or you can get it customize and design it yourself
and see them make it right in front of your eyes
There are many animals you can choose from but they are usually around 1000 yen
and I picked this rabbit and I also picked the pose it did
and you can also do add ons for special days or special occasions
In the Edo period candy making evolved into a kind of street performance
where Candy craftsmen would walk the streets of the city making candy for children on request
While you can’t see candy making on Tokyo streets anymore, this shop keeps the tradition alive.
and this was the first time I saw candy being made right in front of my eyes so it was a pretty cool experience
and you can also take their classes and actually make one yourself
and why I chose the rabbit is because my favourite animal is the rabbit
so if I could have any pet I wanted, I would chose the rabbit
How about you guys?!
So I want to show you guys more of the Japan, like the local ...
So when you walk these local streets, it's when you see more locals and how everyday life is like in Japan
So I think that is really cool because especially in Tokyo
the everyday lifestyle kind of gets washed away by the big city, the buildings
But if you actually look into the local areas or just the backstreets
you will see a lot of Japan's culture
If you ever stop by Nezu, you have to visit Nezu Shrine which is one of Japan's most oldest shrines
Nezu shirine is surrounded by nature, and it has with ponds with carp in it
and also pathways with small shrines called tori
and is a place where the locals often come so it doesn’t have a touristy feel to it
This shrine is styled after the famous Toshugu Shrine in Nikko
so you don’t have to go far from Tokyo to see something similar
So I hope you guys could see more of the local normal everyday Japan life in this video
If there was anything you guys found interesting or something you didn’t know about Japan
I would love to hear it down below
Thank you for watching and I will see you in the next video :)