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YanakaPhoto: Doricono · BY-SA 3.0

Yanaka

Yanaka, Taito Cityfree
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Yanaka is Tokyo's best-preserved shitamachi (old downtown) neighborhood, in Taito Ward, that survived the 1923 Great Kantō Earthquake and WWII firebombing. Its narrow lanes, dozens of Buddhist temples, Yanaka Ginza shopping street, a landmark cemetery, and contemporary art galleries offer an authentic window into pre-modern Tokyo.

Key facts

Hours
Hours not verified
Pricefree
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Nearest transitJR Nippori Station (Yamanote, Keihin-Tohoku, Joban & Keisei lines) — 5-min walk to Yanaka Ginza West Exit; Sendagi Station (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line) — 3-min walk to Yanaka Ginza south entrance
Time needed2–4 hours for Yanaka Ginza, Yuyake Dandan stairs, a few temples, and Yanaka Cemetery; half day if adding SCAI The Bathhouse and Asakura Museum of Sculpture
Best time to goWeekday afternoons 15:00–17:00 for golden-hour light on the Yuyake Dandan sunset stairs; late March–early April for cherry blossoms along Yanaka Cemetery's Sakura Dori
Last verifiedJuly 12, 2026

Locals Score

  • Value8.5
  • Freshness5.9
  • Crowd level6.5
  • Authenticity9.0
  • Accessibility7.5
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Frequently asked questions

Why did Yanaka survive while the rest of Tokyo was rebuilt?
Yanaka is one of the few Tokyo neighborhoods to have escaped both the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923 and the Allied firebombings of World War II. Residents also actively resisted postwar redevelopment, preserving the low-rise wooden streetscape that defines the area today.
Who is buried in Yanaka Cemetery?
Yanaka Cemetery spans about 10 hectares and holds over 7,000 graves, including Tokugawa Yoshinobu — the last shogun of Japan — as well as Meiji-era painters, authors, actors, politicians, and novelist Ichiyo Higuchi, whose portrait appears on the ¥5,000 note.
When is the best time to visit Yanaka Cemetery?
Yanaka Cemetery is open daily 8:30–17:00 and is free to enter. The most spectacular time is late March to early April, when the 170 cherry trees lining Sakura Dori burst into bloom. Autumn is also beautiful, with ginkgo and other deciduous trees turning golden.
Is Yanaka free to visit?
Yes — strolling the neighborhood, walking Yanaka Ginza shopping street, and entering Yanaka Cemetery are all free. Individual shop purchases, café meals, and ticketed venues like the Asakura Museum of Sculpture carry their own costs.
What food should I try in Yanaka?
Yanaka Ginza is famous for freshly fried menchi-katsu (minced-meat cutlets), taiyaki (fish-shaped cakes), and cat-tail-shaped doughnuts from Shippo-ya. The street also has long-established tea shops, senbei (rice cracker) stalls, and traditional Japanese delicatessen (sozai) shops that have served the neighborhood for generations.
What are the opening hours of Yanaka Ginza's shops?
Most shops on Yanaka Ginza are open roughly 10:00–18:00, with some staying open until 19:00 on weekends and holidays. Many shops are closed on Mondays; if a national holiday falls on a Monday, closures typically shift to Tuesday.
What is SCAI The Bathhouse and is it worth visiting?
SCAI The Bathhouse is a contemporary art gallery housed in a 200-year-old former public bathhouse (Kashiwayu) that has operated as a gallery since 1993. It is open Tuesday–Saturday 12:00–18:00, closed Sundays, Mondays, and national holidays, and entry is free. It is known for showing leading Japanese and international avant-garde artists in a dramatically high-ceilinged space.
How do I get to Yanaka from central Tokyo?
Take the JR Yamanote Line to Nippori Station (about 15 minutes from Tokyo Station) and use the West Exit — Yanaka Ginza is a 5-minute walk. Alternatively, take the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line to Sendagi Station, which puts you at the south end of Yanaka Ginza in about 3 minutes on foot.

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