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Out and about

By on May 8, 2014

If your idea of a weekend morning is going out and about on a bicycle, Kagurazaka and Iidabashi are two areas close to each other that are worth a tour.

 

 

 

89978Screen shot 2014-05-08 at 10.28.10 AMDSC_0819With 16 Parks and seven community centers, Kagurazaka was obviously designed with families in mind. Shirogane Park in Kagurazaka (not to be mistaken for the one in Minato-ku) is the largest with the most equipped play areas from jungle gym, swing, to seesaws. In the summer, park visitors can use the shower installed at a special corner for kids to tidy up after playing in the sand.

Kagurazaka Dori has lots of cafes, eateries, parks and tiny one-room pottery galleries.

But the real treasures can be found when venturing off Kagurazaka Dori and into the secondary streets that wind and twist around the area like ivy. There, you’ll find a fair number of apartment buildings and condominiums – all of which seem to provide underground parking and electronically-secure entrances – but more importantly, you’re sure to stumble across any one of tiny galleries and hand-made jewelry merchants.

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Despite a significant number of French expats living in the neighborhood, Kagurazaka’s residents enjoy a quiet peaceful little hamlet that, until recently, has been largely overlooked by other groups of foreigners. Though one doesn’t get the feeling of exclusiveness in Kagurazaka that is so readily apparent in other well-to-do pockets of Tokyo, VWs, BMWs and Mercedes’ are omnipresent but, owing to the family demographic of the neighborhood, they come mostly in station wagon models.

canal cafeA few minutes’ walk from the Kagurazaka dori down to the main Sotobori dori towards Iidabashi is Canal Cafe, a charming al fresco and restaurant by a water spot. The place serves great tasting meals from stone-oven baked pizzas to pastas and a superb view on a sunny day. Try the row boat for 600 yen. (www.canalcafe.jp)

Shirogane Park’s nearest train station is Kagurazaka by Tozai Line.  Canal Cafe is a 5-minute stroll from the park.  The nearest train station to Canal Cafe is Iidabashi accessible by Namboku and Yurakucho subway trains and/or JR Sobu line.

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