Just as the Sumida river was lively with crossing boats during the Edo period, Shinagawa-shuku, the first stop on the Tokaido Road, was a lively port town that faced the sea, where many pleasure boats used to come and go. Enjoying the sight of cherry blossoms or the full moon from a swaying pleasure boat is a scene preserved in many ukiyo-e woodblock prints of the era.

Although Shinagawa has seen great changes over the years, you can still enjoy the feeling of relaxing on a pleasure boat today. Funasei is one such boat. It is a well-established boat company with a long history.

Choose the boat from the fleet that best suits your needs, from hollowed-out table seating style, to tables with chairs, cruisers for standing and eating, and flat boats with no roof for river cruising.

Whether renting out the whole boat for groups of 20 or more, or joining other guests in groups of 2 or more, you can choose any of the boats, but prior reservations are required. Joining other guests in small groups is nice, but we recommend you try renting out the boat for celebrations or parties. You are sure to experience a new feeling of unity while enjoying yourselves on a pleasure boat.

The food deserves special attention. The Japanese food course features tempura or sashimi in boat-shaped arrangements, made with fresh ingredients brought from the Tsukiji market every morning. The tempura is fried on the boat and served piping hot. In addition, the menu changes with the seasons, so you can enjoy seasonal dishes whenever you visit.

“Each guest is a chance for a unique encounter. Nothing makes me happier than hearing that guests enjoyed their time on a pleasure boat. For that reason we place importance not only on the boat and the scenery, but also on the food and the people. Through communicating with our guests, both in words and through our hearts, we aim to create memorable parties for our guests with our smiling service,” says the owner, Ms. Yoko Ito.

The ever-changing city of Shinagawa, and Tokyo as a whole, have different yet equally beautiful faces by day and by night. Why not experience this for yourself with a pleasure boat cruise? To rent out the full boat, reservations are required at least a month in advance. Weekends and summer days fill up quickly, so make your reservation as early as possible.

Opened in December of 2000, this shop is relatively young among the many established soba shops of Tokyo. However, it is listed in the Michelin Guide for Tokyo, and its soba has many fans.

The proprietor, Yukihisa Takano, was born into a restaurant-owning family. He spent some time working for a company, but then decided to open his own restaurant, where he could compete in the world of food on his own merits. With his long-held interest in soba, he pursued the path of the soba artisan.

The gate he knocked on was that of a singular figure in the world of soba, Kunihiro Takahashi, and his restaurant Okina. To learn the master’s 2-8 soba (noodles made from 20% wheat flour and 80% buckwheat flour), Mr. Takano labored for a year and a half.

Shinagawa Okina’s signature soba, Morisoba Zaru (soba eaten chilled), has a translucent quality, with a clean and slender appearance. The noodles slide smoothly down your throat, and when you bite into them, the soft aroma of the buckwheat is released. When dipped in the soup with the crisp taste of dried bonito, the noodles will make you feel refreshed and cheerful.

The soba buckwheat used in this shop is purchased with the hull completely removed, and carefully ground in a grindstone up till the day before the noodles are made. Slow grinding is necessary to ensure that the soba doesn’t lose its aroma. The aromatic freshly ground soba is kneaded into noodles in a workshop on the second floor of the shop.

In addition to the two main types of Morisoba, the standard thin zaru and the thick, black Inaka-soba, there are several other types, including the tsukimi (moon-viewing) soba, meant to be eaten hot, and the namban（noodles with duck meat and welsh onions）soba, etc. The shop also serves snack dishes, such as sauteed miso paste, fish cakes with wasabi, and chilled tofu, that you can enjoy with a drink before eating your soba. They also have a “Nighttime Snack Platter” that can be reserved for two or more guests, with a selection of 9 dishes. We recommend you enjoy it over drinks with a friend.

“Soba is fast food. It is meant to be made fast, and eaten fast. Eat it quickly, before the noodles get stretched out,” says Mr. Takano. Seasonal soba dishes and sakes are also available, so you will want to visit this soba shop in every season.

The founder of the church, Rev. Ken Saeki, commenced his mission to build a church in the Gotanda area of Shinagawa Ward in 1935. The church started off as the Gotanda Church of the Church of Christ in Japan (Order of the Church of Christ in Japan at Gotanda) in 1941; however, the building was burned to the ground during air raids in 1945. Rev. Ken Saeki did not give up, and resolved to continue his mission. After Japan lost the war, he held worship services at a zazen meditation hall located in the garden of the Gotenyama Hara House in Shinagawa, which was occupied by US forces.

After that, the occupation by US forces had been called off and demands to leave the premises were issued. However, in 1949, two charity bazaars were held, with the profits used to build a chantry chapel in 1951 on what are now the current grounds of the Church. In 1966, with the aim of providing urban development and volunteer services to the community, the Shinagawa Regional Center was built alongside the chantry chapel, with exchanges between the church and the local community taking place through dance and piano lessons, along with other activities that the general public take part in.

These bazaars, which saved the church in a time of crisis, are the roots of the Autumn Bazaar held every year in October, with 2015 marking its 68th occasion. This is an event where over 3000 people come to congregate. On the day of the bazaar, stores which deal in clothing items and hand-made art pieces, as well as games corners are all lined up alongside each other. They are set up by churchgoers and by guardians of children attending the kindergarten located on the premises. Some people even line up in the early morning hoping to snag some bargains. We recommend that you check the church’s website for the date and time and get out to the bazaar early.

There are also a plenitude of various classes like dance, piano and violin lessons. Among these, what’s particularly worth noting is the Messiah Choir. Members are recruited for the choir every year in June and they work together and practice for the performance put on in December. There were about 150 people in the group when they gave their first performance in 1992, and that number has grown to about 180 at present. They put on a hugely moving performance for the advent with hopes that Jesus Christ will return to Earth once again.

“We’d like lots of people to see classes and events, as well as worship service, as chances to come out to the church. We put on concerts and musicals in the chapel and there are even people casually drop in for Sunday worship services when they are out for a stroll. We’d be happy if people can find anything at the church which they can use in their own lives.” These are the words of the 3rd generation Reverend of the Church, Kazuo Yoshimura.

It is a holy place where people can casually come for events, where they can come to during a stroll, or come to learn something new. Connecting with the Christ Church Shinagawa is something that may potentially provide enrichment the heart for your everyday life.

The first thing to catch your eye is the mikoshi (portable shrine) on display in the show window. The mikoshi of the Kita-Shinagawa 2-chome neighborhood association, which is carried through the streets during the Shinagawa Shrine Grand Festival in June, welcomes visitors with its grand presence. Owariya’s owner, Noboru Ohashi, says that they see many overseas tourists stop in front of the store, captivated by the sight of the mikoshi.

Inside, bolts of kimono fabric are found on the right-hand side of the store, and accessories for dressing in kimono, such as obi belts and tabi socks, pack the shelves of the store in the center and left-hand side. The walls of the raised platform are decorated with a painting of the store when it was first founded and photographs of the store taken in the early Showa period, in the 1920s and 30s, giving a sense of the store’s long history. Some old five-bead soroban (Japanese abacus), which in days gone by were used to tote up customers’ bills, have also been lovingly preserved.

As one would expect, the store does its best business during the festival season. Because Owariya can supply the full set of the traditional festival garb, including hanten coat, koiguchi shirt, and jikatabi (split-toe sock-boots), customers apparently travel long distances to purchase everything they need. What’s more, Owariya carries its own line of original bags, including the traditional gassai and dochu bags that people in festival costume use to hold their valuables. In a manifestation of Mr. Ohashi’s passion for offering goods that are made by hand with love, he has these bags made locally in a workshop in the Tokyo area. Customers can even have them custom-made to match their kimono (Dochu from ¥5,200, Gassai from ¥5,500).

Some of Owariya’s most popular items are its lovingly hand-made trinkets. In particular, their kaeru (frog) range, which is a play on the expression “buji kaeru,” which means to “return home safely” in Japanese, is popular as a kind of good luck charm. Made with scraps of kimono fabric, they are available in a variety of sizes and designs, including figurines and netsuke. Actually, they are all lovingly hand-made by Mr. Ohashi’s sister.

Mr. Ohashi says that, these days, they receive many requests from customers for alterations, mending, and cleaning of kimono they have at home. They are even asked for advice by people who don’t know the proper way to fold a kimono. The pleasant, welcoming way Mr. Ohashi and his staff respond to these kinds of small requests may be the biggest part of Owariya’s appeal.

Whether you want to have a kimono or yukata (cotton kimono worn in summer) custom made, you need to put together a festival costume, you want to incorporate Japanese accessories into your everyday look, or even want to find the perfect souvenir for friends overseas, Owariya is sure to be of service.

Ippukuto opened in September 2015. It began when Shinagawa-born and raised Keiko Iwamoto decided she wanted to convey the wonderful taste of Japanese tea made in a kyūsu teapot, so she opened this shop in familiar territory in the Kita-Shinagawa Shopping Street. The shop’s shelves are lined with Japanese tea varieties and Japanese sweets chosen personally by Ms. Iwamoto, a qualified Japanese tea advisor, and there are tables in the back of the shop for customers to enjoy a cup of tea on the premises.

Among the Genmaicha, hojicha, Japan-grown black tea, and other varieties of Japanese tea available to enjoy on the premises, the one she most recommends is Karigane tea. This tea uses the soft stalks of premium green teas such as Gyokuro, but what makes Karigane tea unique is that, with each infusion, that is, each time hot water is poured into the teapot, the flavor changes, giving the drinker a different experience each time.

“I love the way that different brewing methods produce different tastes.” As Ms. Iwamoto says, changing the temperature of the hot water or the steeping time results in a completely different taste. At Ippukuto, they recommend first pouring hot water from the vacuum flask into a bowl to cool down, and then pouring it over the tea leaves in the kyusu teapot to steep for one and a half minutes. This is apparently the best way to extract the sweetness and aroma from the tea leaves.

The best accompaniment to Japanese tea made in this way is Ippukuto’s specialty, Fuku Kasane. The pancake batter is made with mizuame, a syrup often used as a sweetener in Japanese sweets, brought in from a venerable maker in Kyoto, fresh wheat flour, eggs, and other carefully selected ingredients, and each pancake is cooked one by one on a flat copper griddle. The an, or sweet red bean paste filling that is sandwiched between two of these pancakes, is, of course, also hand-made. The most common type used is tsubuan, in which the red beans are left whole, but Ippukuto also offers the smooth koshian, as well as shiroan, a white paste made with navy beans instead of the usual red adzuki beans.

A freshly cooked Fuku Kasane has a dark brown outer surface, with a crisp aroma and a faintly bitter note, while the inside has a soft, spongy texture. Bite into it and your mouth will be filled with the sweetness of the an filling. When you take a sip of the Karigane tea, with its fresh sensation, as you bask in the afterglow of this experience, you will be filled with feelings of bliss.

As you sit back and relax, you won’t be able to help thinking, “I’m so glad I’m Japanese.” That’s what Ippukuto is like. Even people who usually drink their tea out of plastic bottles will surely be able to discover anew the delicious taste of Japanese tea.

The starting point for the walking route is Gotenyama Trust City. At the Gotenyama Garden, you’ll find cherry blossoms lined along the walking path in full bloom.

On March 25th and 26th, the 2016 Gotenyama Cherry Blossom Festival was held. At this festival, visitors were treated to courtesan processions and Kendama (a Japanese-style ball and cup game) shows , as well as visits to outdoor stalls set up around the venue providing festival-goers with the perfect things to go along with their cherry blossom viewing, such as Nodate outdoor tea ceremonies and Oden(Japanese hot pot).

Something particularly popular at the festival were the Shinagawa Rickshaws, which are completely white and individual made-to-order; you’ll know one when you see it. While visitors are usually shown around the notable tourist spots in the Shinagawa area on a reservation basis, this time around, guests were treated to stories relating to the history of cherry blossoms in Gotenyama as they enjoyed the view aboard rickshaws on the Gotenyama Trust City grounds. While the route itself takes only minutes to complete, there was a queue of people waiting to get their turn.

After you’ve got your fill of the cherry blossoms at Gotenyama Trust City, why not take a stroll along the Gotenyama-Street, a street that faces the south side of Gotenyama Garden.

From the cherry blossoms in front of the entrance to Hisui Genseki Kan, to the cherry blossom tunnel in front of the Myanmar embassy and the row of cherry blossom trees at beside the Gotenyama House, walking along roads abound with cherry blossoms gives one a sense of exhilaration and really puts you in the spirit of cherry blossom viewing.

Go past the railway track and you’ll find gorgeous cherry blossoms on the grounds of Shinagawa Joshi Gakuin. After a brief, captivating look at the blossoms, cross Daiichi Keihin and head towards the shopping district found on Kitashinagawa-Hondori, the old Tokaido road.

You’ll find the perfect snacks for your cherry blossom viewing at shops such as Masuoken, which is famous for its yaki-dangos, or Akioka, popular for its seaweed-wrapped Sembei and Shinagawa Maki treats. The Shinagawa Shukuba Rolls found at the western sweets shop known as KYO-AN, are characterized by a lineup springtime flavors such as strawberries and green tea and come recommended to visitors.

You cannot miss the brilliant cherry blossoms found at Hinkai Park located within the shopping district.

Once you have got your hands on some delicious treats, go through the shopping district and cross Yamate-Dori and head to the Meguro River. While all of the parks in the Gotenyama area have beautifully blooming cherry blossoms, the Kitahama Park located right beside the Meguro River doesn’t just have cherry blossoms, it also has flower beds which bloom all at once in the spring; here, it truly is springtime. Everything you’ll experience here will have you smiling before you know it.

Both banks on the Meguro River have cherry blossom trees planted all over, meaning that seeing the cherry blossoms at the appropriate time really make for a must-see sight. The area at Chinjyubashi, a vermillion-colored bridge located in front of Ebara Shrine, is also popular as a spot to take photographs. There, you’ll see many people enjoying the cherry blossoms from atop the water as well in their houseboats, canoes and the like. When one thinks of cherry blossom viewing at the Meguro River, people usually think of the famous cherry blossom viewing area at Nakameguro; however, don’t forget that Kitashinagawa is another destination where you’ll be able to get your fill of delicate springtime landscapes.

The time to see the cherry blossoms this year was from the end of March to early April, meaning that we all got a good long opportunity to enjoy them. We know that you’re looking forward to seeing them next year, so please feel free to use this route as a reference for yourself.

When you make your way to Shinagawa Shrine, you should first make a visit for prayer at the outer shrine. Deities enshrined here include the guardian deity of prayer fulfillment and maritime traffic safety Amenohirinome-no-Mikoto, as well as Ukanome-no-Mikoto and Susanoo-no-Mikoto. And off to the right next to the outer shrine is the Ana Inari Shrine, which is said to present divine favor relating to fortune with money and business. The appearance of the vermilion-colored torii gates you’ll find here lined up one after another is impressive; it makes for the perfect spot to snap a photo.

By the same token, if you go around the back of the building from the right side of the outer shrine and follow the passage, you’ll find the grave site of Itagaki Taisuke, who is known as the leader of the Freedom and People’s Rights Movement. Beside his tombstone you’ll find a stone monument inscribed with these words: “Freedom does not die, even if Itagaki does”. While being a secluded space at the edge of the shrine grounds, it appears as though many history fans make visits to the spot given that it’s the burial place of a historic figure.

Return to the center of the shrine grounds again and head over to the kagura hall. Here, kagura (sacred Shinto music and dance) ceremonies are presented at the annual festivals of Shinagawa Shrine. Additionally, Daidai- kagura (grand kagura), which is presented at the outer shrine four times per year, is designated as a Tokyo Metropolitan Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The ceremony has been passed down in hereditary succession to the chief priests of Shinagawa Shrine and was presented by Shinto priests up until the first year of the Taisho Era. At the present, the ceremony is being carried on by volunteer shrine parishioners; it is well-known as a kagura ceremony which remains true to its older form and is well worth seeing.

Next, how about taking on the challenge of a Mt. Fuji hike? What we mean when we say Fuji is a destination is referred to as Shinagawa Fuji, which entails a light trek that will have you reaching the top after about 2 minutes of non-stop walking. It is said that long ago this place was built for common folk unable to make it to Mt. Fuji on their own. Climbing the Fujizuka Mound is said to offer the same divine favor one receives when climbing Mt. Fuji itself. From the top of the mound, you’ll overlook an area spanning from Kita-Shinagawa all the way to Odaiba; once you’re there you’ll be wanting to shout out “Yoo-hoo” into the distance.

At the foot of the Fujizuka Mound, you’ll find the enshrined stone statue of a frog. The statue is called “Buji Kaeru” (which translates loosely to “make it home safely”), which is a play on the words “Fuji” (Fuji; with “Buji” meaning “without incident”) and “Kaeru” (a Japanese homonym for “frog” and “return home”); in other words, this frog was apparently built as a stone statue serving to offer safety and protection. So you’ll definitely want to make a visit here for prayer before heading out on a trip.

Other things you’ll find within the shrine grounds are the Hocho-zuka, which conceals the prosperity of Shinagawa-juku, a place that most flourished as a post station at the first of the fifty-three post stations of the Tokaido, as well as smaller-scale destinations like the Asama Shrine and the Sarutahiko Shrine. All of this makes for a destination that gently calm the souls of visitors.

When you wrap up your visit, one thing you should take another look at are the stone stairs and the Soryu torii gate. At the annual festivals held in June, a mikoshi (portable shrine) will make its way up and down these stairs and is the highlight of the festival. The stone-constructed Soryu torii is also sufficiently worth seeing. The Soryu torii gate is a tori gate entangled with a solemn dragon and is said to be one of three found in Tokyo, with one at Shinagawa Shrine, one at Mabashi Inari Shrine in Asagaya, and one at the Inari Shrine found within the Koenji temple grounds in Koenji.

While it’s of course enjoyable to visit when there’s a festival going on that’s bustling with lots of people, Shinagawa Shrine is a place where even if that’s not the case, you will still find a great number of sights to see. By all means, make your way their next weekend.

ARCHI-DEPOT is not just a museum conducting the general exhibition of architectural models; it is also a facility that operates with the goal of preserving those models for future generations. As such, elements like temperature and humidity are thoroughly managed, with an optimum environment having been readied for the models found in the facility. The number of models being preserved and exhibited is around 220. That means that it would take about a full day to see everything if you took your time to look at each and every one.

At ARCHI-DEPOT, you will find the very best pieces by Japan’s best architects lined up one after another, such as pieces by Kengo Kuma, Jun Aoki, and Shigeru Ban. You don’t have to be a hard-core architecture fan to feel both excited and thrilled with being able to see from a variety of different angles, the famous buildings you’ve seen on TV and in magazines, as well as buildings you’ve actually been to.

Among what’s on display, you’ll also find models with little people installed within the buildings themselves, as is the case with the “Unosumai Kamaishi Elementary – Junior High School (Tentative Name)” by Kazuhiro Kojima and Kazuko Akamatsu. Fixing your eyes on such a model and staring at it almost gives you the sensation of actually spending time within the building yourself. The enjoyment you’ll find might something little similar to the enjoyment of playing with a doll house.

Among models on display you’ll find those for unbuilt buildings (which were not completed) and study models (buildings in the consideration stages), as well as other valuable items which can absolutely not be seen unless you happened to be individual involved in the project in question. Furthermore, you’ll also find models for overseas buildings (which are difficult to actually go and visit), meaning that you’ll be able to have an architectural experience that can really only be found at ARCHI-DEPOT.

There are also plates at each of the exhibits describing information such as the name of the designing architect, project names and other facts. Some of those plates also have QR codes on them, allowing you to look up architect profiles on your smart phone and also to check out pictures of the actual structures themselves; this makes for a facility with some hidden twists.

The Director of ARCHI-DEPOT, Yuta Tokunaga talks about the facility as follows: “I would like to broadly convey to the world the architectural culture of Japan through architectural models with a high level of artistic value. In the future, I don’t just want to have things on display, I want to hold all kinds of events that can be enjoyed by many, such as talk shows and workshops.”

Whether visitors are architecture fans who’ve brought their cameras, students aiming to be architects, groups consisting of homemakers with an interest in working with their hands, or young couples who enjoy appreciating art, ARCHI-DEPOT is where a wide variety of people come to enjoy the models in his or her own way. The facility is likely to continue evolving as a new spot for art found within Tennozu Isle.

There’s a theme at SOHOLM: Gathering. This English word might not be familiar to some people in Japan, which can encompass a nuance of “sharing something enjoyable with others”. This theme is why at SOHOLM, you’ll find a menu ready for you to enjoy together with your friends, your significant other, your family, or your coworkers.

At SOHOLM, there’s regional dishes from both Sweden and Denmark, and deeply flavorful cuisine that combines ancient Japanese cooking methods like smoking, fermenting and ageing. Amongst these, one thing you’ll really want to keep your eye on is Gibier cuisine prepared using deer and wild boar meat. The management team leader of the restaurant himself obtained a hunting license in order to further explore fresh, delicious Gibier cuisine, making for a persistence that is amazing.

Charcuterie cuisine featuring ham and pate is all home-made, and vegetables are carefully selected to bring customers a collection of fresh and seasonal items. Customers can also enjoy the ability to make their own salad dressings. Additionally, customers will find themselves enticed by the fact that they can enjoy luxury caviar such as Beluga and Oscietra.

There are also “gathering platters” consisting of an assortment of cuisine that can be ordered for two or more people. Once you’ve ordered your fill of cuisine on a gathering platter, sit down and enjoy the best part: Eating with your group. And of course, SOHOLM also has a satisfying menu for customers going it alone which they can relax and enjoy. One could say that if you have some free time on your lunch break, this would be the best place to go.

After your meal, make your way to the lifestyle store connected to the restaurant: Slow House. On the first floor is food products, miscellaneous lifestyle goods and fashion items. On the 2nd floor you’ll find interior furnishings such as home furniture.

Here, you’ll also be able to buy some of the products used at SOHOLM, like food products such as smoke oil and dressing, or tableware.

Also, something that’s garnering much attention are original canned Gibier cuisine products, which are being sold as of April 2016. A rich variety of 6 types of food can be enjoyed at home, including Frikadeller made with deer from Hokkaido and couscous made with wild boar from Shimane. Bring them to a home party, give them as a gift, or include them as a special menu item for dinner. You won’t go wrong whenever you have these products handy.

We recommend that you seat yourself on the boardwalk terrace when the weather is nice and warm. This is an ace restaurant where customers can enjoy the kind of comfortable setting only found at ocean-side Shinagawa.

The number of books at KAIDO books & coffee is about forty thousand. Most of them were collected by Yoshimi Tanaka, one of the founding members of the café who astoundingly travelled roads all over the country to collect these books. There are also books that’ve been donated to the café from municipalities all over Japan, with about ten thousand such volumes lining the shelves found on the second floor.

On the shelves encompassing the second floor, you’ll find books organized by genre, including that related to food, maps, as well as temples and shrines. Just as one might expect at a café located on the old Tokaido road, you’ll find plenty of books about Edo, including large tomes like “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo by Utagawa Hiroshige”, which is a masterpiece featuring the works of the ukiyoe wood block artist of the same name. From the great selection of books, pick whatever you’re in the mood for and head over to the counter on the first floor to pick up your drink. Then, feel free to find a spot to enjoy it on either the first or second floor.

Books aren’t the only thing you’ll find on the shelves; there are also in-store corners featuring folk art pieces and miscellaneous items. There, café-goers are introduced to the local charm of individual cities that are selected on a periodic basis, with examples being Kurashiki City (Okayama Prefecture) and Nagahama City (Shiga Prefecture). At the Kurashiki display, you’ll find books about Kurashiki such as “Nihon Jeans Monogatari” (The Japanese Jeans Story) and “Kurashiki no Yacho” (The Wild Birds of Kurashiki) as well as Bizen Ware cups and eyeglasses made of denim. Apparently, there was honey jam (made with fruit from Okayama) being sold in-store as well during the display period. This is the manner in which you’ll learn about the history, culture and industry of local areas through in-store books and folk art pieces; you’ll want to travel to these areas before you know it.

Let’s not forget to note the coffee served as well. KAIDO books & coffee always has at least four kinds of specialty coffees ordered from trusted roasters located all over, and customers can choose both the beans and how their coffee is brewed when ordering. As you turn the pages of a book while sipping on a coffee brewed graciously by the trained baristas, your time at the café will transform into a nice little moment of luxury.

KAIDO books & coffee also frequently holds events such as photo exhibitions, workshops and film screenings; this means that there is always something to discover. Whether you’re coming to gather information before going on a trip, looking for an opportunity to start something new, or just looking for a relaxing time, KAIDO books & coffee is the place for you. It’s a place that anyone can go to get acquainted with something or someone new.