Stone-paved alleys lined with French bistros
Kagurazaka, a short walk from Iidabashi Station in central Tokyo, is an old geisha district whose stone-paved alleys still hide ryotei, traditional restaurants behind black wooden fences. French restaurants and bakeries settled here too, near the French cultural institute, which is why it is nicknamed Little Paris. Have a galette or a bistro lunch, then wander the alleys up to the temple on the main slope.
A creperie in the style of Brittany in western France, serving galettes, thin savory crepes made from buckwheat flour, with a glass of cider. It is open every day, but this branch takes reservations only by phone, so come early if you would rather walk in.
Said to be the oldest alley in Kagurazaka, paved with stone and lined with black wooden fences, with pine branches leaning over the top. Behind the walls, ryotei still serve guests in private rooms. People live here too, so walk quietly, and note that smoking is banned on Kagurazaka's streets.
A maze of narrow, stone-paved lanes that bend at sharp angles, so the view changes at every corner. Its name means hide-and-seek alley, because people seemed to vanish as soon as they turned into it. Small restaurants and bars line the way.
A temple halfway up the Kagurazaka slope dedicated to Bishamonten, a Buddhist guardian god and one of Japan's Seven Lucky Gods. Instead of the usual lion-dogs, a pair of stone tigers guards the hall, since the tiger is linked to Bishamonten. The main statue is kept hidden and shown only on a few days each year.