The good (and bad) thing about Tokyo is that it’s so huge that it never never never gets boring. I find new neighborhoods all the time and am constantly shocked at how every cafe, shop, alleyway, and park is always filled with people. Seriously, it’s pretty hard to find a place of solitude here. However, the endless spaces do make for excellent day adventures.
About a week ago, I had some fun in Daikanyama, a trendy neighborhood in central Tokyo. It’s only about a 15 minute or so walk from Shibuya, one of the busiest places in Tokyo, but you would never be able to guess that if you were dropped in the middle of it. For one thing, it is super quiet. And for another thing, there are no neon lights (or harsh colors, or sleazy looking bars) to be seen. To be honest, it felt a little bit too hip — and that’s saying something, because I tend to love trendy areas.
Everyone walking around was really cool. That’s the only way to describe them. The kind of people who can pull off fedoras if you’re still wondering.
Putting aside its overbearing cool factor, I would recommend Daikanyama for an afternoon if you’re looking for a good bookstore. Tsutaya, a giant book/DVD rental/CD rental company in Japan, recently opened “T-Site,” a 3-building complex that houses books, variety goods, an upscale lounge, and a Starbucks. It’s packed with tons of magazines and novels (and unfortunately, people) and the architecture is really unique. Apparently the designer won some kind of world architecture award for it, so that’s pretty cool. I spent a bit of time wandering between the buildings and browsing through books and would definitely come back.
The neighborhood hosts many awesome buildings that give it a very distinct, cosmopolitan feel. It doesn’t really give off a Japanese vibe (besides it’s spectacularly clean sidewalks). I’ve noticed this phenomenon in many areas of Tokyo. It feels as if some city planners and architects got together and said “Hey, let’s make this neighborhood look American. Or European. Or both, I guess, cause I’ve never been to any of those places. But unlike America, let’s keep the streets pristine and each building scrubbed, painted, and equipped with model-status employees.”
Oh, and speaking of America, Daikanyamma is also home to “Camden’s Blue Star Donuts,” a branch of Portland’s famous Blue Star Donuts. I had a raspberry and pistachio donut and it was delish. So, although I can’t say Daikanyama is the best place to visit if you only have a few days in Tokyo, I can say it’s the best place to find a donut.
a taste of tokyo 