VIDEO: Immerse yourself into Tokyo nostalgia at Kamata

Kamata Town (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

Kamata, in Tokyo’s southeastern end near Haneda Airport, is one of the city’s shitamachi (traditional shopping, entertainment and residential) districts perfect for a walk down memory lane.

During the Edo Era (1603-1867), Kamata was a post (station) town before becoming a center for famous movie stars and fashion trends thanks to Shochiku Film Studio presence there between 1920 and 1936.

Although there are few monuments remaining to reminisce on the glorious time, you can still find some classic washoku restaurants, wagashi Japanese confectionery shops and kimono shops behind cheap izakayas, fast-food restaurants and pachinko parlors along the modern streets and arcades.

Kamata Town (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

Nearby, Anamori Inari is a large Shinto shrine dedicated to a guardian deity for air travel safety. After making your wish in front of the magnificent main shrine, pass through the hundreds of small vermillion torii gates in the shrine field to check out dozens of tiny shrines in a cave and on the top of a stone tower.

Anamori Inari (Shinto shrine) (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

From the shrine, you can walk to the Tama River to see a large torii gate built on the riverbank. The gigantic torii gate was originally built on the grounds of Haneda Airport but was relocated when the airport expanded its runways. The large vermillion-colored torii gate looks even more beautiful in the backdrop of the blue Tama River and open air and the benches nearby are an ideal spot for a quick rest.

The Tama River (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

Ootorii (the Large Torii Gate) (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

Be sure to drop by a sento (public bath) in the town, as Kamata is famous for its onsen mineral hot springs. The unique black mineral hot water of rich, oily texture water will warm your body while smoothing our skin. You can enjoy the unique black-colored onsen at Yu-city Kamata, near JR Kamata Station, for only 470 yen ($3).

Yu-city Kamata (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

JR Kamata Station (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi)

While Kamata is filled with both old and modern attractions, I feel this shitamachi town has a nice feel of old Tokyo with its public baths, wooden izakaya pubs with red lanterns and traditional Japanese shops. Check it out!

Anamori Inari (Shinto shrine)

Yu-city Kamata

Camp Zama