Of all the long-established nightlife neighborhoods in downtown Tokyo, Kanda is the one that has done the best job of retaining its no-nonsense shitamachi credentials. Of course a certain gentrification is inevitable -- indeed, the station could almost be called salubrious these days -- but wander into the warren of streets to the east of the tracks, and you will find the pleasures of the evening remain reassuringly cheap, earthy and uncomplicated.

Humble oden and yakitori joints stand cheek by jowl with stand-up drinking holes and sleazy establishments that advertise their attractions with winking lights and lurid neon. This is not an area that will ever feature in JNTO tourist brochures.

However, that only makes it more of a pleasure to arrive outside Shinpachi's friendly, rustic facade. With its dwarf maple tree and handspun hempen noren, it exudes a sense of style that contrasts greatly with its shabby neighbors. Not surprisingly, it attracts a quite different clientele.