도쿄여행 N번차라면🗼｜현지인의 숨은 핫플 카구라자카｜160년 전통 노포🍡｜소바 격전지｜일불학원 투어🇫🇷｜실패없는 코스로 모셔요📍 – Transcript

00:24Hi! It’s OHHA 🗼 Today, we’re exploring the charming neighborhood of Kagurazaka! If you’ve already seen enough of Tokyo classics like Shibuya and Ginza,and even explored local favorites like Kichijoji and Yoyogi...

00:41I highly recommend Kagurazaka, a neighborhood that locals absolutely love. [Great food, cafés, unique spaces, and shops]I’ve planned another amazing route today, so open Google Maps and follow along till the end! Kagurazaka is where old Edo charm meets a touch of French flair.

00:59With its narrow stone-paved alleys and traditional houses,you can even feel a bit of Kyoto here. This alley is called “Geisha Komichi.”So atmospheric, right? We’re having lunch at this Japanese restaurant in the geisha district.

01:22HaRu had an open class at school that day,so my husband joined me for once 🤭 I mean... this room is way too luxurious just for the two of us 🫢 There’s even a little garden inside the room.

01:39This would be a great place to bring your parents too ☺️ By the way, outside the private rooms,there are table and counter seats. They serve kaiseki cuisine for dinner,while lunch features udon and oyakodon. Their signature dish is the “udon suki” in the middle,which they’ve been serving since they first opened.

02:00For a meal like this in such a beautiful setting in Kagurazaka,I think the price is pretty reasonable. Ooh~ Even the smell is incredible... 💛 My husband ordered the oyakodon.It was sweet and tender—highly recommended!

02:18I ordered the shrimp tempura seiro udon. I wanted to try their signature udon suki,but it was so hot that day, I was craving cold udon. The noodles were flat and slightly translucent,with a nice chewy texture and super easy to slurp.

02:37Dip the shrimp tempura deep into the sweet tentsuyu... CRUNCH!! With a sound like that, you know it has to be good. Even though we were alone in the private room,they somehow knew exactly when to come refill our tea. I’ll definitely come back for their signature udon when it gets colder ☺️ Such nice weather.

03:01It feels nice walking hand in hand with my husband, just the two of us ☺️ With its unique mix of Japanese and French, old and new,Kagurazaka is such a fun neighborhood to wander around. So pretty how the flowers fell perfectly intact 🤍 This busy little bee is adorable too 🐝

03:39The pretty sound of wind chimes drew me into this shop selling traditional Japanese goods. These coin purses are so cute! They also have lots of Aderia glassware with that Showa-retro vibe that was super trendy for a while. And tea ceremony accessories too 🍵 Anyone know what this is?

04:10Kagurazaka on another day. The daycare kids are out for their morning walk too ☺️ We came here craving some freshly cooked rice straight from the pot.

04:33We got here right when they opened and were the first ones in,but by noon, it quickly filled up with office workers from nearby. Rice cooking in a huge donabe pot. They have more lunch options than I expected,including sukiyaki, karaage, and fried oysters.

04:54I almost went for the sukiyaki,but since it’s my first time here, I chose their signature buta no kakuni. Buta no Kakuni Gozen ¥1,650 Donabe rice is simply the best 🤍 They serve a different premium rice variety from around Japan every day 🌾 Mmm~ so nice and chewy ♡

05:21I know a lot of you love buta no kakuni! It’s thick, tender pork simmered in a soy-based sauce.That perfect sweet-and-savory flavor makes the rice disappear! We each polished off two bowls of rice~ You can watch the JR trains pass by from the bridge leading into Kagurazaka.

05:44At the end of the bridge, the train fits perfectly inside this green frame.It looks like a painting, doesn’t it? In Japan, the sound of a train is described as“gatan-goton, gatan-goton.” Isn’t that adorable? It really does sound like that ☺️ If you love beautiful spaces,I highly recommend the Institut français de Tokyo.

06:05I absolutely loved it here too ☺️ It was hot, but such a beautiful day. As I mentioned earlier, Kagurazaka is also known as Tokyo’s “Little Paris.” After this French institute was established,more and more French people naturally began settling in the area.

06:35And that’s how Kagurazaka became this charming neighborhoodwhere Japanese and French cultures coexist ☺️ It’s open to the public,so anyone can come in and explore freely. The French teachers even say bonjour when you pass by 🤭 It’s also famous for being designed by Junzo Sakakura,who studied architecture under Le Corbusier.

07:00The simple graphics really stand out against the pure white building. Lime-green summer filling the windows 🌿 [Photos on that green bench turn out so pretty!]Shall we check out the bookstore too? This space reminds me of Notting Hill 📚 Shelves filled with books in French.

07:29They had so many adorable picture books too. Some of these would look great as home décor 💕 If you head into the building down the little path beside the bookstore... You’ll find this spiral staircase.

07:53I saw lots of people taking photos here too. Definitely recommended if you’re into architecture and beautiful spaces. There are chairs in the garden too,so it’d be lovely to come for a stroll on a nice day.

08:14Oh! I found Shin-chan’s mom 👀 Now, onto Kagurazaka’s main shopping street. “Zaka” in Kagurazaka means “slope,”and as the name suggests, the street keeps going uphill.

08:38This is Kinozen, an iconic Kagurazaka shop with 160 years of history. They specialize in traditional Japanese sweets made with red bean paste,like anmitsu and zenzai. It closed down a few years ago after its third-generation owner retired, but so many people missed it that it reopened last year.

09:00[It’s a hilarious drama about a sweets-obsessed salesman who sneaks off for desserts after work. Highly recommend 🤭]I first came here after seeing it in the Netflix Japanese drama “Kantaro.” This is what you come here for: matcha bavarois 💚 It was so hot that day, I was tempted by the anmitsu with ice cream too, but I had a kakigori place saved for later,so I went with the classic shiratama anmitsu.

09:20And their red bean paste... oh, don’t even get me started 🫘 The bavarois that keeps Kinozen going strong. Bittersweet matcha bavarois topped with light, fresh cream... Add their perfectly sweetened red bean paste and... enough said 🤎 My friend’s face says it all 😂 So good... ♡

09:50She already loves traditional Japanese sweets,so I think she enjoyed it even more ☺️ It’s not the kind of dessert everyone is familiar with,so it might not be for everyone—but I love it 🤍 If you want to try traditional Japanese desserts, definitely save Kinozen! We met up with HaRu after school and headed to AKOMEYA, a Kagurazaka must-visit.

10:16AKOMEYA is now pretty well known in Korea too,and it’s one of Japan’s most popular lifestyle shops. The Kagurazaka location is their largest flagship store,so there’s so much to see.

10:32It’s a lifestyle shop that introduces Japanese food culturewith kome—rice—at its heart. These perfectly square packages are actually rice 🌾 Japan really is the land of beautiful packaging... They have a huge selection—from side dishes, seasonings, dashi, and snacksto kitchenware, tableware, and even clothing.

10:53They have so many different dressings too, but this onion dressing is my personal favorite. Trust me when I say it’s No. 1. Even the somen noodles are so pretty!

11:11They also offer elegant gift wrapping,so it’s popular for weddings, housewarmings, and thank-you gifts. There are tons of products at different price points,so if you’re looking for a unique souvenir, this is the place!! AKOMEYA has locations in Shinjuku, Shibuya, and more,so find the nearest one and definitely stop by.

11:34Japanese-style bento accessories and onigiri molds. They have lots of tableware too,so it’s a great place to shop for dishes. You can find these super-thin beer glasses in Japan too,so beer lovers, don’t miss out!