Kagurazaka

Cobbled lanes with a French accent

Kagurazaka was a geisha district, and the stone-paved alleys like Hyogo Yokocho still carry that atmosphere. These days it doubles as Tokyo's little Paris, with French bakeries and bistros threaded between the kanzashi shops. Come in the early evening when the lanterns come on.

Kagurazaka was an Edo-era geisha quarter, and its bones survived: a steep main slope splitting into stone-paved alleys, black wooden fences, lantern light, and a concentration of serious French restaurants that earned it the nickname of Tokyo's Little Paris (the Institut Français has been on the hill since 1952). A handful of geisha still work the district's ryotei, which is rarer in Tokyo than most visitors realise.

Come at dusk when the lanterns switch on and walk the side alleys, especially the stone-paved Hyogo Yokocho, said to be the city's prettiest lane. Akagi Shrine at the top of the hill, rebuilt in glass and cedar by Kengo Kuma, makes the perfect turnaround point before descending for dinner.