Bousingot

Ueno & Yanesen


It's fitting that Yanaka, which refuses to trash the past, would have a bar that doubles as a used bookstore. Sure, the books are in Japanese but you can still enjoy soaking up the atmosphere with some resident book lovers.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ueno & Yanesen attractions

1. Sudo-kōen

0.17 MILES

Looking like something straight from a woodblock print, this gorgeous pocket park is worth the stroll from the Sendagi end of Yanaka to view its brilliant…

2. Daimyo Clock Museum

0.24 MILES

Before the 1860s, only samurai lords could see these fascinating clocks, called wadokei, that tell time according to variable hours named after animals of…

3. Nezu-jinja

0.27 MILES

Not only is this one of Japan's oldest shrines, it is also among the most beautiful – a tough call in a district packed with attractive, historic…

4. Enju-ji

0.29 MILES

The deity at this temple is Nichika-sama, also known as the 'god of strong legs'; for this reason the temple is popular with runners.

5. Chōan-ji

0.33 MILES

This small, peaceful temple, one of many scattered around Yanaka, houses one of the seven gods of good fortune, Juro-jin.

6. Kannon-ji

0.33 MILES

This Yanaka temple is known for its part in the story of the 47 ronin (masterless samurai). It was here that they plotted to avenge their master (the…

7. Gyokurin-ji

0.34 MILES

One of Yanaka's many ambient temples, this is home to an ancient chinquapin tree that's been designated a national monument. Ask someone from the temple…

8. Yanaka Ginza

0.35 MILES

Yanaka Ginza is pure, vintage mid-20th-century Tokyo, a pedestrian street lined with butcher shops, vegetable vendors and the like. Most Tokyo…