Yanaka at golden hour: the old Tokyo that survived

Most of Tokyo was destroyed twice in one century: the 1923 earthquake, then the 1945 bombing. Yanaka escaped both, which makes it one of the very few districts still shaped like pre-war Tokyo — low wooden houses, narrow lanes, family shops, and a large cemetery with an avenue of cherry trees down the middle.

Two and a half hours of slow walking in the late afternoon, when the light drops and Yanaka Ginza fills with people carrying their shopping home. The staircase at the end of the street has its own name — sunset steps — and it's where the whole neighbourhood comes to watch the evening. Along the way: senbei crackers grilled in front of you, korokke fried in batches until they sell out and the shop closes, a tea house in an old wooden building, broom-makers and paper-makers still minding their own counters. And a great many cats — the district's reputation for them is not a joke.

Your guide explains how a pocket like this survived at all, the temples around it, and why residents have fought off high-rise development. It's the gentlest tour on the list — walking, snacking, sitting down for tea — and it suits anyone who wants a quiet afternoon rather than a loud night.