Tradition rules at this time of year, and few parts of Tokyo are more traditional than the grid of narrow streets to the south of Ueno's Shinobazu Pond. Although many of the buildings in this former geisha district have seen much better days, there are still gems to be found — and Misogura Tamayura is one of the best.
Even in daylight, the sight of this beautifully preserved little store is likely to bring your feet to a halt. But after evening falls and with the old-fashioned lamps illuminating the interior, you may find it hard to resist sliding back the glass doors and venturing inside for a closer look.
Once a tradesman's store, this two-story timber-frame house has had new life breathed into it, reincarnated as an izakaya tavern. Unlike its neighbors, many of which offer boisterous carousing and entertainments of a rather more dubious nature, Tamayura is quiet, wholesome and entirely welcoming.