After a few very busy weeks I managed to find a spare couple of hours the other day to go exploring. Knowing I had to be back in the office by 3, it would have to be somewhere close. So opted to make Nakameguro my target. Having been there once for Yakitori and hearing what a cool place it has become, I wanted to go see it in the day time.

Having a quick googlemap, I decided to take the train to Ebisu and then walk a loop via Daikanyama, hitting the Meguro river, (looks like a canal to me), about a kilometre north of Nakameguro station.

So, leaving from the less familiar west exit of Ebisu station with an approximate direction in my head I crossed the busy Komazawa Dori and picked one of the back streets which seemed to point the right way. Immediately you are amoungst some really interesting looking izakaya and tachinomi, (stand-up bars). Making a mental note of a couple to try out in the future, I continued and very soon the izakaya made way for boutique style cafe’s and clothing/home stores. This must already be Daikanyama, they look pricey…

guess what this Izakaya specialises in…

Daikanyama, Shibuya’s more sophisticated and smaller neighbour is home to many foreign embassies, (and some of the people that work in them), upmarket restaurants, cafes and independent design stores and the high rent that goes along with all that! Even if that’s not your thing, it’s still an interesting place to walk around. I came across severel courtyard areas between stores which gave it a more western, european feel.

Leaving Daikanyama and heading west, I knew I couldn’t miss the Meguro river, I would have to hit it somewhere. Just before reaching it I walked past this amazingly overgrown house. It looks like something out of Hollywood. It must have been left like this for years. A quick google search didn’t bring up any info so if anyone reading this knows anything about this place then please let me know.

The picture doesn’t really show that the plants were growing out of the house, through broken windows and patio doors!

So popular for sakura watching in the spring, the Meguro river at Nakameguro is worth visiting at any time of year. It’s lined with interesting looking cafe’s and bars, again with a much more European feel to them than most other areas of Tokyo. This is where artists, designers, writers and musicians have made their home in the last 10 years or so. I am thinking this would be a great place to live, and a really great place to spend evenings. I must have walked past half a dozen interesting looking yakitori-ya, all within a couple of minutes walk of each other. This is my type of place!

what a great name!

You know what, for anyone who is perhaps on their second visit to Tokyo and has been to all the main city disticts, this walk would be a great way to spend 2-3 hours, or even make an afterternoon and evening of it with dinner in Nakameguro. Of course if you really want to get the most out of a visit then consider taking one our guides with you!