Camille Hine

In Tokyo, the best walks begin where the guidebooks stop. And few are the travel companions that mention the eastern ward of Katsushika where, thirty minutes apart on foot, lie two unassuming neighbourhoods: Kameari and Ayase. Kameari is best known as the backdrop to the long-running manga KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops, and these days the lines between suburb and storyboard have all but disappeared. But beyond the character statues scattered across the district is something more compelling: a lived-in shitamachi charm. From Kameari Station, follow the railway west along Pochi Kame, the 800-metre underpass that JR East has in the past few years quietly repurposed with new shops and hangout spots. This will bring you to Ayase, alive at night with izakaya and bustling in the day with residents running errands. Restaurant windows steam up so you can only see a warm blur of people chatting away, as chefs and waiters call out over the low rumble of the trains. Tucked away among the copy-paste chain shops that line many Tokyo streets, we’ve found six gems that make the stroll from Kameari to Ayase much more than just a commute.

Tokyo is a city where neon-lit skyscrapers rise beside ancient temples, and one where the art scene doesn’t just live inside major museums – it quietly spills into the voids in between. Inspired to channel creativity in new ways, art spaces have taken root in places often overlooked: under railway lines, inside former community buildings, along residential backstreets you’d otherwise pass without a second glance. Some are carefully renovated, others feel almost improvised. Together, they bring art closer to everyday life and local communities. For many visitors rushing between tourist hotspots, these spaces remain undiscovered, and not even all locals realise what’s right at their doorstep. But if you’re ready to pass on the monumental museums and check out the little galleries tucked into the corners of Tokyo, read on: here’s where to find some of the capital’s most unexpected art spaces, where personal stories live within the art and inspiration flows freely. RECOMMENDED: The best art exhibitions in Tokyo right now

The name Full Monty might make some Brits chuckle at the iconic comedy film reference, but ‘the full monty’ also means the whole shebang, the full package – and that’s exactly what this pub delivers, the full British experience. More than that, though, Full Monty is a cider house. As Japan’s oldest, it imports bottles and draught pours from Herefordshire and Somerset, as well as cideries around the world. Since 2004, the lovely fella from London, Clive Poole, and his Japanese wife, Kae Doshin, have made this pub feel like a proper local, always happy to help newbies find the right cider for them. If you’re making the trip, your best bet’s the weekend, when the kitchen is guaranteed to be in full swing. Tuck into their scrumptious British scran, from classic fish and chips and homemade pies to more outlandish favourites like haggis and Scotch eggs, and settle in for the footy. If you’re looking for an authentic British pub, this is it – a true home away from home.

Rocking down in Roppongi, a legendary basement is pumping with The Beatles’ music. Leading the show is resident tribute band The Parrots, who famously shared a stage with Paul McCartney himself. This is a venue with a reputation that stretches far beyond Tokyo. World-renowned musicians – Bon Jovi, Sting, Oasis and so on – have made the pilgrimage to meet The Parrots, often joining them on stage before leaving their mark on the wall of fame. Guests settle in at their dinner tables while the instruments are warmed up, bubbling excitement slowly building. Dressed in suits, The Parrots launch into their first song, their charming voices carrying a wave of nostalgia. Glimmering lights dance to the music as the audience claps and moves in harmony, the room vibrating with the rhythm. No two nights are quite the same, with request cards keeping the band on its toes, and birthday celebrations inevitably coming with a rendition of The Beatles’ ‘Birthday’. But do yourself a favour and don’t forget to order another round of Guinness or Beatles-themed cocktails between sets, as you sure won’t remember while they’re playing.

Having visited the UK many times, Tiny Toria’s proprietor Keimoto-san grew fond of the quaint tearooms of the English countryside, and so, using a mish-mash of antique wooden furniture that looks straight out of an English grandma’s home, she created this Cotswold fairytale cottage café. Whimsical trinkets and knick-knacks line the lavender-coloured walls, my personal favourite being the PG Tips sock monkey peeking out from the corner – a friendly face you wouldn’t expect to see around here. A waitress dressed in Victorian-style maid fashion brings you a finely painted teapot, making your childhood tea parties come to life. Order the afternoon tea (reservations essential) and prepare to tumble down a rabbit hole of fluffy cakes, homemade crumpets and piping hot scones – the only dilemma is whether to spread the cream or jam first. Cake-wise, they’ve got all the classics, including the café’s namesake Victoria sponge.  By the end, you’ll be stuffed and ready to enter a food coma. But if you’re somehow still hungry, they’ve got freshly baked scones to take home, alongside English-themed souvenirs and their own recipe book. Come Christmas, the café gets a delightful festive makeover, perfect for those after a sprinkling of white holiday magic.

Ever fancied dressing like 007 without the MI6 job description? With British rock strumming softly through the shop, Vulcanize London feels like a Mayfair hideaway, bringing together impeccably tailored suits with English heritage brands and contemporary labels. With their in-house magazine as your guide, mosey through brands like Parker and N.Peal, and, as favoured by the British royal family, Smythson and Fox Umbrellas. It might not make you James Bond, but you’ll certainly look like you know your martini order. Look beyond the rails and a sweeping photo of an underground escalator stretches down the stairwell, linking the two floors through a snapshot of everyday life in the capital. Should you need a break from shopping, pop into their café to mentally justify that Globe-Trotter suitcase. Then, before calling it a day, go on the Union Jack scavenger hunt – I bet you can’t find their grand vintage Union Jack sofa.

Hobgoblin is the one that everyone knows about, the first English pub most Brits flock to, and one of the key importers of British food in Tokyo. Pub quiz nights and match days bring the pub to life, as football fans gather around the screens with pints in hand. Add the dark green carpets, etched pub mirrors and vintage brewery signs, and you’ll swear you’ve stepped off Japan’s island and right onto England’s. That’s hardly surprising: Hobgoblin Brewery brought the pub’s interior over from the UK. They, of course, serve Hobgoblin ale, as well as Guinness, Aspall cider and much more. But the menu doesn’t stop at drinks. Like a perfect ‘Spoons, that’s maybe a little bit pricier but worth it for the antique vibes, they’ve got it all. Fancy a tender Sunday roast? Come here, they’ve got plenty of options. Craving a full English breakfast? You’ll find one here. Missing almost anything from home? Don’t worry, they’ve got you sorted. And when the end of the year rolls around, dazzling Christmas lights twinkle through the pub, making it everyone’s village local.

Nutty’s Caff brings the charm of a ’60s London coffee bar to Tokyo. Forget dainty afternoon teas, and think builders’ breakfasts with British rock and telly playing in the background. While the corner shelf sits chock-full of Yorkshire Tea and other British pantry staples above the chequered floor, the rest of the café keeps things simple, letting the hearty breakfasts speak for themselves. Many come for the famous French toast drizzled in maple syrup and pancakes served with crispy bacon and sunny-side-up eggs, but Nutty’s Caff does all types of British breakfasts justice. Whether it’s a full English, cheesy baked beans on toast or buttered toast with jam, every plate is made fresh. Kick-start your day with a cuppa – or, if tea won’t cut it, a Guinness to really get the blood pumping. Either way, you’re doing breakfast the British way.

Mash Bros’ pie and mash slap. Although the golden puff pastry pies come right out the oven piping hot, they’re impossible not to gobble up straight away. From the creamy mash smothered in garlic butter to the juicy sausage rolls, everything is homemade, ingredients chosen fresh every morning. Plus, you can call ahead for vegan food. What really sets Mash Bros apart though is the owner and chef, Saad. Anime and Japanese pop culture brought him here and he brought British food with him. His personality is everywhere. Chocolate fingers and Creme Egg packaging is cellotaped to the walls, darts wait in one corner and a retro arcade machine sits in another, making Saad’s spot feel less like a restaurant and more a neighbourhood living room – especially with community events like ‘Queer for Fear’ bringing everyone together. So if you’re after a super chill hangout spot near Shinjuku, just to nerd out and eat smashing food, this is it. At Mash Bros, everyone’s a bro.

Just two minutes on foot from the hustle and bustle of Ayase Station, hidden in the backstreets, sits Kawaraya Root. Set in a renovated 50-year-old kominka (traditional wooden farmhouse), this two-storey restaurant is designed to look like an old Japanese home, but with a modern bistro feel. Low-hanging lanterns cast a gentle glow onto dark timber walls and tatami seating. The restaurant’s name comes from kawara, the traditional roof tiles of Japanese houses. Combined with the English word ‘root’, the naming captures the idea of a neighbourhood bistro rooted in the community, a warm place where people gather over good food. This is neither straight-up washoku nor classic Italian: expect gourmet European-style bistro dishes with a Japanese twist, served on Japanese tableware. The menu draws on local produce and is changed monthly to keep things deliciously fresh. Don’t miss the tile-grilled cheese risotto with shrimp broth, best enjoyed with some Mucho Más de Félix Solís Avantis white wine or Cardamon Take7 White Snake shochu.

With an entrance fashioned from a 270-year-old temple gate and a central workshop built by a miyadaiku (temple carpenter), Allan West’s Art Sanctuary blends seamlessly into Yanaka’s shrine-dotted streets. What may surprise you is that it was never a temple, but a car repair shop, which West transformed into a studio dedicated to Nihonga. Each screen and scroll reflects the care and discipline behind the medium, making the studio feel less like a gallery and more like a sanctuary where one can enjoy the beauty of nature. Gold-leaf painting covers both the walls and the ceiling. As the pigments are so expensive, the world of Nihonga is lost to many in modern-day Japan. Protecting the heritage of this centuries-old practice and building upon its traditions, West brings together both his American and Japanese artistic foundations. If you’re lucky, you can even catch him at work, brush in hand.

Climb the stone steps into a green oasis to discover the studio-home of Junkichi Mukai (1901–1995). Built in the 1960s and incorporating elements brought from rural Iwate, the building feels like a fragment of old Japan that’s slipped into residential Setagaya. Born in Kyoto, Mukai grew up immersed in the natural environment and culture of the ancient capital. After studying in Kansai and Tokyo, he travelled to Paris in the late 1920s, where he learned Western techniques that later shaped his realist style. Yet he is best known as ‘Mukai of the old houses’, devoting over 40 years, well into his 80s, to travelling across Japan to paint its rapidly vanishing thatched-roof dwellings and seasonal rural landscapes.  This is a place where the past is lovingly remembered. First in the quaint wooden atelier itself, a preserved remnant of old Tokyo, and then again in the paintings it holds, which reveal just how quickly Japan’s landscape transforms.

The aroma of freshly roasted coffee spills out onto the street as you wander upon Iri, a café nestled beneath the elevated train lines near Ayase Station. In December 2025, Masae Kuboki’s longtime dream of opening a coffee house – and roasting beans in house – came to life in this compact, minimalist space. The coffee, brewed with beans imported from across Latin America, East Africa, Jamaica and Indonesia, is poured into rustic Mashiko ware mugs. Take a seat at one of the two tables or at the window counter, where you can watch the flow of everyday life over your steaming cup of joe.  For those who aren't so into coffee, try their creamy hot chocolate paired with one of three cheesecakes – Basque, New York-style or cassata – or maybe even all three to properly gorge yourself on sugar. For those who find themselves not wanting to part with Iri’s coffee, they have bundles of beans at the exit to buy on your way out.

If you’re tired of shopping for run-of-the-mill clothes online, go under the tracks by Ayase Station to discover Afro-Rake. You know you’ve arrived when you spot a huge mural of a ’70s-style character rocking a big afro, plastered over by a black-and-white hip-hop-esque poster of Christina Aguilera. With a gigantic head of hair – much like that in the mural – the shop’s Ayase-born-and-bred owner, Shingo Yamazaki, has been welcoming customers into his small black-walled secondhand shop since 2008. Afro-Rake holds a tightly packed treasure trove of apparel. Worn-in denim, vintage leather jackets and plaid flannels cram in, giving just enough space to move. For the women out there: don't be disappointed that it’s technically a men’s shop, and try some things on – you might find yourself putting together a fire fit before you know it.