Yanaka Ginza

When my sister and I got our bearings back, we deliberated on whether we should try the famous Totoro Cream Puffs or head directly to Yanaka Ginza where cats are purportedly roaming freely and are part of their community. We decided that to fully enjoy what's left of the daylight, we go straight to Neko town.

Unfortunately the train we boarded stops on all stations. At first, we enjoyed the views as it passed by the countryside residential areas different from the route of the express service we took on the way to the airport. We noticed the sun was actually out and the clouds have parted. We saw multiple houses with some persimmons in their backyard, Mom enjoyed their slight piquancy and juicy sweetness that she coveted a persimmon picking photo-op. Perhaps next time. Over time, we realised how the train stations looked too similar.

Good thing we bought along the mobile Wi-Fi that our AirBnB host has provided so we were able to look up in the internet how we could switch to a faster train back to the city. We were very elated when we finally arrived at Nippori station.

Yanaka Ginza had a relaxed vibe set amidst a preserved old part of Tokyo. It most certainly did not have the feel of a heavily burdened tourist attraction. There was a small Cafe with locals catching up with the latest gossip. There were boutique shops of snacks and delicacies, and we also passed by one that sold jewellery and my sister got a pair of cherry blossom inspired earrings which looked quite unique. Nearby was a seafood shop and there was an elderly woman attending to what appears to be a patron as they shared an extended chat. Thankfully the scant amount of tourists did not hamper the local life to unfold.

Further down the street we saw a little establishment with a queue. We got intrigued, and on closer look we were enthralled by the smells of barbecued chicken and liver in skewers. Apparently they were using an original recipe that are decades old and hails from their hometown. And it was delicious! Moist meat and the marinade was flavoursome - with balanced sweetness and saltiness.

We still haven't seen any cats. Internet posts said we should keep an eye out for them as locals offer them food and water. We reached the end of the alley and it opened to a street. We decided to start walking back to Nippori station. Just across the barbecue shop we noticed trays of bento with a variety of options with chicken or fish or beef or pork and sides. The meticulousness of how they've arranged the items was quite exquisite. The price was also very affordable. A perfect solution for our dinner tonight.

Before leaving Yanaka Ginza, we passed by a shop that sold Marron (chestnut) biscuits, a flavour which is sweet and nutty at the same time. We also passed by a shop that sold Taro puffs - it was dangerously scrumptious and we could not stop eating it!

We saw a few more cat statues, but no real neko. At this stage, it was well and truly dusk. We checked out the cemetery and we only saw tombstones and tree lined avenues full of shadows. We departed immediately and headed back to the station.Read more