Originally Posted by seigex

I usually stay in Shinjuku, Shinagawa or Kinshicho when I'm in Tokyo. But I've decided to mix it up a bit this time. I have 8 days to throw around where I don't have to log on to work, so I'm going to spend a couple days in Sendai, but for Tokyo, does anyone have any thoughts on a neighborhood that gives fairly good walking access to a good station where I can get fairly quick access to the Shinkansen (for jr pass) within a few stops, but is more oldschool wrt the buildings (hasn't undergone modernization yet) with lots of mom-and-pop type shops and restaurants?

I know it's kind of a broad question, but looking to mix it up a little from what I used to do before the pandemic. Currently I am booked at both the moxy kinshicho and tokyo hyatt regency for those 8 days while I decide what I want to do, but now will be canceling them both and finding a much smaller hotel or a botique hotel, based on the cheap hotel thread, in a new area that I haven't stayed in.

Maybe Asakusa? Ueno might be an option too, both have pretty good access.

Originally Posted by FindingFoodFluency

Like you, I try to switch up the neighborhood each time, so that I can explore different areas in my favorite city. Given that there's no grid layout, however, even when I'm staying in a more popular district such as Shinjuku or Asakusa, I end up on backstreets not yet visited.

Yanaka and Nezu are close to Ueno, sleepier, and have some cool shrines. Or, if you're a densha otaku (really into trains), Ochanomizu has some cool shots.

Kinshicho doesn't have much, nor is it walking distance to any shinkansen.

Originally Posted by seigex

I was wondering why it was called "tea water", and it turns out that during the Edo period, the river that runs through it was used to make the emperor's tea, so it became known as Ochanomizu. Dumb little fact that I just happened to know.

Originally Posted by jib71

Water for the Tokugawa shoguns' tea came from a spring on the grounds of the nearby Korinji temple.

Originally Posted by seigex

Thanks for the correction, my memory of it was from reading Wikipedia on the train 3 years ago, so it's a bit flawed. The names of the districts in the area of former Edo are interesting through.

Originally Posted by flipstah

Fellow Travellers,

Hope all is well as you travel through the world, one flight at a time. I haven't been to Japan in at least 5 years and would like to venture on into a post-COVID world. The last time I went, cash was still king and credit was slowly growing access and I got through it using PASMO and loading it using my card.

Is this still the case? Or is contactless payment become preferred since COVID? Thanks!

Originally Posted by bmwe92fan

IME - For the most part credit is accepted everywhere now in major cities -- however at lunch time many places still prefer cash only.... A few months back in western Japan we ate at a place that would normally not ever take a credit card -- zero issues now COVID as has accelerated the transition -- even in Japan lol!

Originally Posted by seigex

I'm assuming most ramen/katsu/whatever shops still use cash-based vending machines to get food?

Originally Posted by bmwe92fan

IME - For the most part credit is accepted everywhere now in major cities -- however at lunch time many places still prefer cash only.... A few months back in western Japan we ate at a place that would normally not ever take a credit card -- zero issues now COVID as has accelerated the transition -- even in Japan lol!

Originally Posted by seigex

I usually stay in Shinjuku, Shinagawa or Kinshicho when I'm in Tokyo. But I've decided to mix it up a bit this time. I have 8 days to throw around where I don't have to log on to work, so I'm going to spend a couple days in Sendai, but for Tokyo, does anyone have any thoughts on a neighborhood that gives fairly good walking access to a good station where I can get fairly quick access to the Shinkansen (for jr pass) within a few stops, but is more oldschool wrt the buildings (hasn't undergone modernization yet) with lots of mom-and-pop type shops and restaurants?

I know it's kind of a broad question, but looking to mix it up a little from what I used to do before the pandemic. Currently I am booked at both the moxy kinshicho and tokyo hyatt regency for those 8 days while I decide what I want to do, but now will be canceling them both and finding a much smaller hotel or a botique hotel, based on the cheap hotel thread, in a new area that I haven't stayed in.

Maybe Asakusa? Ueno might be an option too, both have pretty good access.

Originally Posted by mongobot

If you're still looking for options, I used to live near Monzen-nakacho. A "shitamachi" district that has pretty easy access to Tokyo Station via the Tozai line as well as the fairly convenient Oedo line. There is a Toyoko Inn and Tokyu Stay there if you're looking for budget accommodation.
From there you can walk (if so inclined) to Kiyosumi park or to Tsukushima and have some monjayaki or pick up some of it's local specialty, tsukudani.
Here's some information about nearby historical sights


Another option, also close to Tokyo Station might be Nihonbashi / Kabutocho. Home of the Mandarin Oriental but still a lot of old school restaurants and shops in the area around Fukutoku Shrine.
I'm not sure if I believe it but in 2020, TimeOut proclaimed it as one of Tokyo's coolest neighborhoods...