Manekiya (CLOSED)

Snacking along the Yanaka Ginza shopping street is a must when visiting Tokyo’s ‘cat town’, and Manekiya should definitely be on your list. This little take-out joint sells taiyaki in the shape of lucky cats, which it calls ‘fuku-nyan-yaki’, and you can watch the staff make the classic dessert in large cast-iron pans. The little crunchy cakes come in four different fillings: red bean paste, custard cream, matcha with red bean paste or pizza flavour. So make sure to get at least two different flavours for comparison – you won’t regret it.