With its proximity to the Waseda and Gakushuin universities and crisscross of train lines, Takadanobaba is known to most Tokyoites as either a college town or a commuting hub. It's a cheap place to go for a drink, a place to grab a quick bite on the way home from work, or perhaps to pick up some used books. And as the platform music at the JR station hints and any otaku can tell you, it was also the birthplace of Astro Boy.
For Tokyo's community of Burmese, however, Takadanobaba is something much more important: a home away from home. In fact, so many of them have gathered there that it has come to be known as Little Yangon. Although they number only a few thousand, the mutual support and sense of community have been vital for their survival in a country that offers precious little official support to refugees and migrants.
Most of the Burmese came to Japan to escape the violence and persecution in their home country. Going back could mean a death sentence, so the first struggle they face is gaining permission to stay. Often they apply for refugee status, but the Japanese government has been notoriously stingy with these visas, handing out just 30 last year.