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3 Great Photo Spots in Yanesen

Date published: 20 April 2016
Last updated: 26 March 2020

Yanaka, Nezu, and Sendagi. These places make up the area called Yanesen, taking the first kanji character from these three towns. It is dotted with many must-see spots, including a retro-looking townscape, solemn shrines, and an energetic shopping street. Here are three highly recommended photo spots in this attractive Yanesen area.

Nezu Shrine was built about 1,900 years ago. The main building and other buildings such as surrounding gates have existed since 1706, and they are designated as National Important Cultural Properties. Among all, the sight of the shrine gates standing on both side of Otome Inari Shrine is very impressive. Take one shot before you go through the first shrine gate, and then take another picture of the mysterious scenery you find as you walk further into the shrine, and finally, turn around and take a last picture that covers the entirety of the area after you have passed through all of the gates.

The 36-step stairway is located on the way from Nippori Station to Yanaka Ginza Shopping Street, and is called Yuyake Dandan ("sunset stairs"). From the top of the stairs, you can see a beautiful view of the sunset along with the shopping street that keeps a shitamachi (downtown) atmosphere. This is also popular as a photo spot, so when the sun starts to set, many people come and sit on the stairs waiting for the sunset.

Walking through the back alleyways, from the noise of the city, cats seem to appear out of nowhere. Yanesen is well-known as a sanctuary for cats, where you can meet lots of cute felines. The retro-looking townscape of Yanesen and cats make a perfect harmony, so it would definitely be worth taking a few snapshots of cats, along with scenery of the back alley.