TOKYO

Part of Tokyo’s shitamachi, the city’s historic old town, which dates back to the 17th century Edo period, Monzen-Nakacho still maintains a laid back and old-school atmosphere that recalls earlier times. Walk along the neighborhood’s cobblestoned streets and you’ll find yourself at the striking Fukugawa Fudo-do Temple, founded in 1703 and where daily fire ceremonies for good fortune still take place five times a day. Continue walking through colorful Monzen-Nakacho and you will come across shop after little shop – the pickle maker, the crafter of bespoke fishing rods – that in many cases have been in business for decades. And as day turns into night, the neighborhood comes even more to life, with locals filling up hole-in-the-wall bars and izakayas run by characters who are as unique as the neighborhood itself.

On this six-hour food tour, we will go deep into Monzen-Nakacho’s backstreets, stopping into tiny storefronts and then out-of-the-way izakayas and bars to meet the artisans who keep the neighborhood’s bellies – and glasses – full and taste culinary delights unique to the neighborhood from traditional fishermen’s food to innovative modern cuisine. More than an izakaya crawl, on this walk we’ll also plunge into the spiritual side of sake drinking and the place it holds in Japanese culture and religion, tasting some very special renditions of Japan’s traditional spirit.

We’ll start our day off with a visit to one of the neighborhood’s classic spots for fukagawa meshi, a local specialty made of clams served over rice. As we head towards the Fudodo Temple to catch one of the daily fire ceremonies, we’ll make a detour to visit a bustling shopping street that dates back to the early 20th century, where we’ll pop into several old-time food shops and have a taste of a variety of artisanal specialties, including pickles and several traditional sweets.

After paying our respects at the temple and taking in the multisensory ceremony there, we’ll do as the locals do and start heading to the neighborhood’s watering holes, where the drinks are accompanied by expertly crafted bites. As the afternoon turns into evening, we’ll visit a sake specialist, stop by an oyster shucker who’s doing his part to help fisherman recover from the lingering effects of the devastating 2011 tsunami by buying his bivalves directly from them and then squeeze our way into a hidden tachinomi, or “standing bar,” where the small kitchen miraculously turns out edible wonders. Before we finish our eating and drinking together, we will visit another revered local shrine – Tomioka Hachiman, the birthplace of Edo-era professional sumo and, with its lit up grounds, a must-see for any nocturnal adventure in the neighborhood. To cap off our night, we’ll hit several more spots where we’ll rub elbows with the locals, have a few more exquisite sips and bites, and get an even deeper understanding of what makes Monzen-Nakacho the magical place that it is.