Taishakuten Sando 帝釈天参道

Retro neighborhood for a stroll

Shibamata has got to be my favorite undiscovered place for stroll in Tokyo. Starting at Shibamata Station, you walk into a time warp to the Showa era. The statuary in front of the ticket gate depicts characters from the movie series Tora-san, the street narrows and on each side are wooden storefronts with kanban signage. The street leads to Taishakuten, the temple with exquisite wood carvings and a strolling garden. Just a few steps away is the vintage Yamamoto-tei with elegant tea house architecture. My visitors from abroad love this place for photography and old-fashioned atmosphere.