MONZEN NAKACHO: 門前仲町

The last two months have been incredibly busy for me, not only starting a new job but also moving house. Yet while I may not have been able to explore as much as usual, I have still managed to squeeze in a few half-day trips in between the work-and-move madness. On one such respite a few weeks back I headed to Monzen Nakacho, an old-school area in Koto-ku that is surprisingly neglected by guidebooks. Affectionately referred to as ‘Mon-Naka’ by those that live there, the highlight of this quaint neighbourhood has to be its nostalgic entertainment district – Tatsumi Shindo – a narrow 50-metre-long street packed with tiny bars from the Showa period (1926-1989). I really enjoyed walking around the area’s little lanes and alleyways, looking at the old signage and standing in the Tokyo sun.

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