Great Tokyo walks: Kameari to Ayase

As you leave Kameari Station, you are greeted by the main characters of KochiKame, Osamu Akimoto’s slapstick comedy manga that’s set in Kameari and now dominates the local aesthetic.

The series follows middle-aged cop Kankichi Ryotsu, aka Ryo-san, as he navigates daily life and chaotic schemes to make a quick buck. Since its debut back in 1976, KochiKame has come to encompass two TV series, five films and many stage adaptations, with the beloved franchise celebrating its 50th anniversary this year as one of the longest-running manga series in history.

Dotted around Kameari are references to the comic; a centrepiece is the collection of life-size KochiKame statues outside the station, reminding people every day as they enter Kameari what makes this slice of Tokyo special.

By the south exit, popping with colour, are three cheerful statues of Ryotsu, Keiichi Nakagawa and Reiko Akimoto, while on the north side, cast in bronze, stands a likeness of Ryo-san. Feel free to take a selfie, or even throw money into his mouth – rumour has it it brings you good fortune.

Some 10 minutes from Kameari, slip below the railway to find a bright white neon sign reading SKWAT, which marks the entrance to Kameari’s premier art centre. Opened in late 2024 by design firm Daikei Mills, SKAC has turned a previously unused space into a makeshift hideout for creative nonfiction and music. The facility mainly functions as a warehouse for art book distributor Twelvebooks and record dealer Vinyl Delivery Service (VDS), but is also home to offices for Daikei Mills.

Upon entering, you’ll find yourself surrounded by art books and retro records, techno-jazz pulsing in sync with the trains chugging by. Concrete floors and scaffolding hold the collection, piled up so high it meets the tracks to form a two-level industrial library of art. Tunnels of exposed steel and white neon lights run through the workshop, while metal seats offer a spot to read.

Leading to the back, a sign declares: ‘The Museum is Not Enough’. In other words, art is made to be stumbled upon in everyday life – flipped through, listened to and experienced – and that’s exactly what SKAC enables. You can even enjoy a coffee sitting on experimental exhibitions at the in-house café, Tawks.

Once you’ve soaked up enough inspiration at SKAC, head west along the Joban Line until you reach Ayase. The aroma of freshly roasted coffee spills out onto the street as you wander upon Iri, a café nestled beneath the elevated train lines. Just last December, 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.

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.

If you’re tired of shopping for run-of-the-mill clothes online, go under the tracks 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, including vintage pieces. Worn-in denim, 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.

As you come to the end of the underpass in Ayase, you’ll start to hear music emanating out of a small bar under the railway lines. When you open the door, a rush of tunes blows out, and you’ll immediately hear people asking whether you fancy joining in – or would rather just have a drink and unwind.

The clientele composed mostly of locals, everyone at this live music bar bundles in on little stools to watch the show. Surrounded by for-sale guitars and served by a friendly bartender from behind what until 1986 was a coffeeshop counter, your body picks up as the music beats to the rhythm of the trains. As the venue is tucked under the tracks with nothing but a bike rack next door, locals jam as loudly as they like.

Posters remember musicians who have come and gone, making this place a small part of Ayase’s history. Anyone is welcome to perform: jazz, rock or something else – if it’s good, it belongs. Chess is open from 7pm to midnight every day, with gigs every Friday to Sunday. You can simply turn up empty-handed; they’ll lend you an instrument right off the wall.