Finding places in Tokyo can be complicated. All too often a simple address is not enough. That's why many people here look like treasure hunters roaming the streets armed with a map or its modern equivalent, the smartphone.
While getting lost in the business district is not particularly funny, Yanaka — not far from Ueno — is one of those rare neighborhoods that have managed to preserve the old shitamachi atmosphere and rewards the urban explorer with many pleasant surprises. One of them can be found in a glass-walled atelier-cum-gallery that looks like a Buddhist temple and quietly sits between Honmyoin Temple's cemetery and a beautiful huge Himalayan cedar.
Here you will find American artist Allan West usually working on a new painting or taking a break to chat with his neighbors. "This is one of the things that I love about Yanaka," West says. "Compared to other Tokyo districts, there is a greater sense of community. Maybe it's because many people who live here have their business in this area, so there are more chances to meet and talk during the day. The guy who makes my tatami mats, for instance, has a child who is in the same class with my son."