Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Apr 6, 2018
Swordplay and samurai in Tokyo's Maruyamacho district
by Kit Nagamura
Traditional businesses are heating up in Shibuya's old geisha quarter.
Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Feb 2, 2018
On the hunt for Gaien Nishi-dori's taste-makers
by Kit Nagamura
In Tokyo, people set up funky cafes with all kinds of sideshows — curry, cats, goats, hedgehogs and maids come to mind — so when I catch a whiff of a good cup of joe escaping from a huge glass and concrete box near ...
Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Dec 8, 2017
Warming to Sugamo's venerable shopping street
by Kit Nagamura
Gifting, and therefore shopping for gifts, seems part of the gestalt of winter. In Tokyo, though, retail wonderlands tend to be packed and pricey, full of ersatz Christmas music, harried customers and long lines. I opt instead for a low-key commercial street near Sugamo ...
Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Nov 3, 2017
Changing times in Setagaya's Shoin Jinjamae
by Kit Nagamura
There's something alluring about the suburban stops between Sangenjaya and Shimotakaido stations, which has been serviced by the Tokyu Setagaya tramway for the past 110 years. Low-rise buildings and modest platforms tick by as the tram trundles at a leisurely pace westward from where I ...
Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Oct 6, 2017
Never mind the love hotels: Negishi is home to haiku, tea and famous pines
by Kit Nagamura
Alighting at one of the JR Yamanote Line's quietest stops, Uguisudani Station, I chat with the stationmaster about its name, which means "Bush-Warbler Valley." Apparently, the area used to have limpid streams and a bucolic setting that attracted the feathered songsters, also known as ...
Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Aug 11, 2017
Akasaka: Sublime and surreal spots in Tokyo's government district
by Kit Nagamura
A diplomat friend and I enjoy lunch at the Akasaka Capital Tokyu Hotel, in the governmental hub of Tokyo. As we part, he tips me off that there's a little-known footpath from the hotel, leading uphill to the Hie Shrine, one of Tokyo's most ...
Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Jun 30, 2017
A visit to a preschool leads to lessons in noh and nothingness in Higashi-Gotanda
by Kit Nagamura
A gentleman I met at an educational conference invites me to tour the backstreets of Higashi-Gotanda, where he has opened a brand new preschool. Exiting A7 of the JR Yamanote Line's eponymous station in the early hours of a cool spring morning, I strike ...
Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Jun 2, 2017
A trip to formal gardens yields finds of other kinds in Mejiro
by Kit Nagamura
Early summer, before the rains arrive and the squadrons of mosquitoes hatch, is a blissful time to stroll Tokyo's formal gardens. I launch off in search of one I've heard of in Toshima Ward, near Mejiro Station. The Yamanote Line stop has no connecting trains ...
Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES May 5, 2017
Pineapple cakes, pirouettes and petals in Aoyama
by Kit Nagamura
The one time of year I'm happy to linger in Aoyama Cemetery is when the venerable rows of old cherry trees growing around the gravestones blossom. Before heading there, though, I decide to first get in the mood with a bit of personal spring ...
Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Mar 25, 2017
More than fare trade: backstreet by taxi
by Kit Nagamura
A combination of rain showers and tax prep in March signal Tokyo's segue into spring. Cherry blossoms are nearly in bud, but cold, damp days of crunching fiscal figures can put people in dour moods. After wandering a wet backstreet, absorbing little more than precipitation, ...
Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Feb 25, 2017
East of Meiji Shrine, west of Jingu Stadium
by Kit Nagamura
It's a brisk February day, with a neoprene blue and cloudless sky. I alight at Harajuku Station and head northeast, threading narrow alleyways filled with cute guys and kawaii gals browsing boutiques. Full disclosure: I'm in search of the creative marketing agency UltraSuperNew. Its upcoming ...
Travel | BACKSTREET STORIES Jan 28, 2017
Good fortune in the Tokyo suburbs
by Kit Nagamura
The Tokyu Setagaya Line, a sweet little tramline, makes stops between Sangenjaya and Shimotakaido stations. A mere 5.1 kilometers long and one of only two trams left in Tokyo (the other being the Toden Arakawa Line), the Setagaya Line boasts a sleek fleet in ...