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The Yamanoue (Hilltop) Hotel: A Story in Progress Above Tokyo

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Tokyo’s Kanda Surugadai and Ochanomizu area is surprisingly hilly for a city center. The Kanda River carved out a valley here, and the plateaus on either side create a landscape filled with steep slopes and winding streets. It almost feels like a small canyon tucked into the middle of Tokyo. As you walk from the busy streets near the station up the hill, you can feel the atmosphere shift. The change in elevation is sudden, and even today, you can clearly sense the natural terrain beneath the modern city. For a moment, you realize—this was once a hill. A Building at the Top of the Hill At the top of one of these slopes stands a quiet, dignified building, carrying the weight of time. The Yamanoue Hotel—its name literally meaning “on top of the hill”—sits there almost as if it has always belonged to the landscape itself. More than just a place to stay, it feels like a memory of the neighborhood made visible. From Social Facility to Historic Hotel The building was originally co...
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Ochanomizu: Tokyo’s Living Instrument District in the Digital Age

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As cities evolve, they often begin to resemble one another, shaped by familiar patterns of development. Yet some places retain a character of their own—and continue to be chosen, generation after generation. Ochanomizu is one of them. View of the Kanda River and railway tracks from Hijiri Bridge The area around JR Ochanomizu Station is defined by its complex terrain. With landmarks like Hijiri Bridge and the steep slopes running along the Kanda River, the neighborhood offers a vivid sense of Tokyo’s layered geography. Simply walking through it, you begin to understand just how intricate the city really is. And then, along those slopes overlooking the river valley, an unexpected scene unfolds. Shops with walls covered entirely in guitars. Showcases filled with vintage brass instruments. Out front, young musicians pick up instruments and play—faces serious, completely absorbed in the moment. Even today, Ochanomizu remains one of the largest and most concentrated musical instrume...
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The Town You Reached by Mistake? — But Surprisingly Fascinating: Asakusabashi

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When people think of famous sightseeing districts in Tokyo, Asakusa is usually one of the first places that comes to mind. Visitors from around the world come to see the giant red lantern of Kaminarimon and the historic temple Senso-ji . Amid all this, there is a small but familiar “Tokyo moment” that people sometimes talk about. “I meant to go to Asakusa, but I accidentally ended up in Asakusabashi .” Because the station names sound similar, visitors occasionally get off at the wrong stop. When they step out of the station, instead of a bustling tourist area they find themselves in a calm business district. Looking around, they start wondering: “Where is Kaminarimon?” There is no need to be disappointed. Asakusa is only a few minutes away by train. And there is something else. Asakusabashi itself is actually a surprisingly interesting neighborhood. It may not have many flashy tourist attractions. But the area is filled with the atmosphere of Tokyo’s old downtown, a hist...
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A Midnight Elevator Rescue at Tokyo Skytree

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Early spring in Tokyo. Around Tokyo Skytree , the crowds are as lively as ever. The plaza and nearby riverside paths are filled with visitors, many of them looking up at the 634-meter tower that has become one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. If You Want to See Cherry Blossoms Now: Discovering Kawazu-zakura In a recent column, I wrote about the early-blooming Kawazu cherry blossoms near Tokyo Skytree . When I visited the area on February 27, many people were trying to capture the same photo: pink blossoms in the foreground, with the tall tower rising behind them. Standing there, you could hear not only Japanese but English, Chinese, and several other languages drifting through the air. It was a reminder that this landmark continues to draw visitors from all over the world. As people looked up at the tower that day, however, most of them probably didn’t know that only a few days earlier something unusual had happened inside it. A rescue that lasted until midnight The inc...
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On a Spring Day in Tokyo — and the Pollen in the Air

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A Date on the Calendar Today is March 3rd in Japan — Hinamatsuri, Girls’ Day, a traditional celebration of girls’ health and happiness. Peach blossoms, ornamental dolls, and pink sweets quietly signal the arrival of the season. And yet, on the streets of Tokyo, spring often looks different. Masks cover faces. Sneezing breaks the air. Runny noses, congestion, itchy eyes, tears with nothing to do with sentiment — these, too, mark the month. It is pollen season. Cedar pollen has been drifting through the air since February and, in many regions, will continue into May. For many, it is more than a minor irritation. It is exhausting. Concentration slips. Sleep falters. Productivity quietly declines. The Photo Everyone Recognized 奥多摩走ってるけど花粉えぐすぎて草  pic.twitter.com/3XEWe3TLrs — ランエボっち_たか㌠ (@CZ4A_taka)  February 28, 2026   Recently, a photo began circulating on social media. Taken by a driver passing through Okutama , on the capital’s mountainous western edge, the photo was shot...
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If You Want to See Cherry Blossoms Now: Discovering Kawazu-zakura

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Many Japanese guidebooks feature the iconic image of cherry blossoms—the familiar sight of pale pink petals filling the landscape from late March to early April. But it is now the end of February. If you are visiting Japan at this time of year, you might assume it is simply too early for sakura and resign yourself to missing them. Before the Cherry Blossoms: Discovering Japan’s Plum Season In a previous column, I introduced Japanese plum blossoms, those modest yet beautiful harbingers of early spring. While Japan’s flower-viewing culture is wonderfully diverse, cherry blossoms hold a uniquely special place in people’s hearts. Here is the good news: just as there are many varieties of plum trees that bloom over an extended season, the same is true for cherry blossoms. The sakura season is not limited to April. Sakura Is More Than Somei-yoshino The scene described above was captured today, February 28, along the Kyu-Nakagawa River in Tokyo’s Edogawa, where dozens of vibrant cherry trees ...
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