We continue our three-part series on walking tours with an Tokyo itinerary to sate any history buff. 

Understanding the present often requires a look at the past—which is why Walk Japan offers a comprehensive history lesson with every tour they operate, from short city breaks to longer walking tours through rural Japan that take visitors through landscapes that’ve inspired the nation’s most famous thinkers, writers and poets. Aside from seeing the sights, tour participants also gain a deeper knowledge of the country. Walk Japan CEO Paul Christie shares his two-day itinerary of Tokyo, which traces the city’s history from its rise during the Edo period up to the modern day, showing there’s much more to the modern metropolis than meets the eye.

Day 1: The Imperial Age

9am: Nihonbashi

What started off as a humble neighbourhood inhabited by craftsmen—who were later entrusted to build the Edo period’s many palaces and imperial buildings—Nihonbashi flourished into a merchant quarter supplying the needs of the shogun’s court and the townspeople.

10am: Imperial Palace       

Make your way to the Imperial Palace via the modern Marunouchi business district. Today, the Palace provides a verdant, green refuge at the very centre of Tokyo. Stroll through the core of the former castle grounds, where the towering central keep once stood.

12pm: Iidabashi Geisha District

A short metro ride brings you just beyond the original extent of Edo Castle walls to Iidabashi. Originally a small distribution point for goods, the neighbourhood grew into one of the city’s largest geisha entertainment districts. Stop here at one of the local street stalls for a hearty lunch.

2pm: Koishikawa Korakuen Garden

Walk to Koishikawa Korakuen garden. Once a part of a powerful lord’s estate, today it is one of the best examples of a Japanese gardens in Tokyo.

4pm: Tokyo Museum

Take the JR train to Ryogoku for a guided visit of the excellent Edo-Tokyo Museum, which details the Tokyo environment and lifestyle from the Edo through to the post-war period.

DAY 2: Changing Times

10am: Yanaka Neighbourhood

The quiet quarter of Yanaka, with its winding streets, narrow alleyways, and intimate local shops, provides the closest approximation to how life once was in 20th century downtown Edo through to Tokyo’s pre-war years.

12pm: Ueno Park

Stroll to Ueno Park, which was once the site of a temple complex that protected Edo Castle from the northeast—a direction of bad omen in Japan. Within the park is a shrine to the Tokugawa shoguns.

3pm: Ameyoko-cho Market

Visit nearby Ameyoko-cho, a bustling, downtown street market that has its origins as a black market in decimated, post-war Tokyo.

4pm: Asakusa and Senso-ji Temple

Take the JR train to Asakusa, the home of Tokyo’s oldest temple and the original townspeople of Edo. The area has long been famous for its Senso-ji Temple. Take time to stroll around the surrounding streets, where there are plenty of good local restaurants and interesting period bars, to conclude the day.

Read the first part in the series to discover the street art secrets of London and watch out for our roundup of the best walking tour operators in Hong Kong.

By: Beverly Cheng

Images courtesy of Walk Japan.