Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ARTY AKIHABARA
There are a couple of quirky galleries east of Akihabara station in the district of Bakurochō and
accessible via a station of the same name. The
Agata-Takezawa
building, a run-down of
ce
block which houses the Taro Nasu Gallery (see below), is quickly becoming the hub of this
up-and-coming arty neighbourhood: it includes the non-profit, university-funded
Alpha M
exhibition space and an interesting bunch of arts, crafts and fashion tenants.
Rad-ium von Röntgenwerke AG
2-5-17
Nihonbashi-Bakurochō, Chiyoda-ku
T
03 3362
2666,
W
roentgenwerke.com.
A gallery that likes to
fly below the radar by having a weird name and rarely
deigning to use it on a street sign. Specializes in finely
detailed paintings, multimedia works and sculptures.
Tues-Sat 11am-7pm.
Taro Nasu Gallery
1-2-11 Higashi-Kanda, Chiyoda-ku
T
03 5856 5713,
W
taronasugallery.com.
Respected
gallery that acts as an anchor of sorts to the trendy
Agata-Takezawa building, having moved here in 2009
from their Osaka base. They have ten or so exhibitions per
year, mainly of Japanese artists, mixed in with a few from
Europe.
Tues-Sat 11am-7pm.
3
Kanda Myōjin
ਆా໌ਆ
• 2-16-2 Sotokanda, Shiyoda-ku • Daily 9am-4pm • Free • Ochanomizu and Marunouchi stations
A vermilion gate marks the entrance to
Kanda Myōjin
, one of the city's oldest shrines
and host to one of its top three festivals, the
Kanda Matsuri
(see p.26). Founded in
730 AD, the shrine originally stood in front of Edo Castle, where it was dedicated to
the gods of farming and fishing (Daikoku and Ebisu). Later, the tenth-century rebel
Taira no Masakado - who was beheaded after declaring himself emperor - was also
enshrined here. When Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu was strengthening the castle's
fortifications in 1616, he took the opportunity to move the shrine, but mollified
Masakado's supporters by declaring him a guardian deity of the city. Exiting the shrine
to the south, past the large, copper
torii
, you can pick up some
amazake
(sweet,
non-alcoholic sake) at
Amanoya
(see p.160).
Origami Kaikan
͓Γ͕Έձؗ
• 1-7-14 Yushima, Bunkyō-ku • Mon-Sat 9.30am-6pm •
T
03 3811 4025 • Ochanomizu station
The six-storey
Origami Kaikan
is considered one of the “Six Cultural Treasures” of the
Bunkyo Ward. This outpost for the production and dyeing of
washi
(Japanese paper)
was founded in 1859, and to this day they continue to sell it on the premises - there's
also an exhibition hall on the second floor. It's possible to take lessons (some free) in
the art of paper folding here, although English instruction is unlikely.
Yushima Seidō
౬ౡಊ
• 1-4-25 Yushima, Bunkyō-ku • Daily: May-Oct 9.30am-5pm; Nov-April 9.30am-4pm • Free • Ochanomizu and Marunouchi stations
A copse of woodland hides the distinctive shrine of
Yushima Seidō
, dedicated to the
Chinese sage Confucius. The Seidō (Sacred Hall) was founded in 1632 as an academy
for the study of the ancient classics at a time when the Tokugawa were promoting
Confucianism as the state's ethical foundation. In 1691 the hall was moved to its
present location, where it became an elite school for the sons of samurai and high-
ranking of
cials, though most of these buildings were lost in the fires of 1923. Today,
the quiet compound contains an eighteenth-century wooden gate and, at the top of
broad steps, the Taisen-den, or “Hall of Accomplishments”, where the shrine to
Confucius is located. This imposing, black-lacquered building was rebuilt in 1935 to
the original design; look up to see panther-like guardians poised on the roof tiles.
South of the Kanda-gawa
The area south of the Kanda-gawa, a small river bisecting the Kanda area, boasts a
relaxed air and a modest collection of interesting sights. These include a pretty
