Taste of Kanda, the Oldest Student Town in Japan

Kanda is the oldest student town in Japan, and I loved it because this place always reminds me that it is not too late to start anything I would like to experience. This is especially true regarding art and music, with various art and instrument shops dotting the streets. When you come to Kanda, you feel as if you are also a student, ready to learn something new.

Why I Recommend

If you asked me, “Where would you go after Shinjuku, Ginza, and Akihabara (the most common tourist places)?” I would have to recommend Kanda. It is popular for people living in the Kanto area because of its many bookstores, especially old ones. But why do I personally recommend it? Simply put, it is the oldest and biggest student town in Kanto, and probably in the whole of Japan, too. But that’s not all; the Kanda district is located near the Palace and used to be the grand official’s residence 200 years ago, just before Meijiishin.

The government built a ministry of education in the Kanda area, as well as the Shohei Zaka Gakumon Jyo (Origin of Univ Tokyo). They picked Kanda because it was a little hill, and the government thought it was the perfect place to build modern universities. With the destination set, they set out to do just that. 5 famous private universities were built as law schools, and some more for medical schools. Univ Tokyo and Gakushuin (a school for loyal families) also began in the neighborhood.

Why Kanda is Special to Me

In my case, Kanda is especially special to me since my father attended university here and worked at one of the prep schools. My mother also worked at one of the university hospitals in Kanda. So my father spent a long time here. I also spend time at my father’s school, so I like the Kanda atmosphere. Books, academics, music, oil drawing tools, there’s nothing to go wrong with.

One day, my father took me to one of the local Chinese restaurants, telling me how fast they were, which I saw pretty quickly. Intending to order a Chuka Donburi, my father had barely gotten through the first word before the chef nodded and began preparing it in front of him. He didn’t even get the chance to finish saying “donburi!” I have visited the restaurant many times since and experienced similar things, always so surprised at their skills.

I think even foreigners can understand the love for Kanda that has been passed down to my father and me. I want you to experience this feeling of being a student, making it so much more than a normal tourist spot. I hope that it inspires you to try new things, without feeling that you need to ask if you are too old to start, or too young to understand it. From the academics to the arts, this is a neighborhood where everyone, no matter who they are or how old, can start to learn something new.

Dark history of Kanda

My father often referred to Kanda as “Quartier Latin.” This saying certainly sounds academic, definitely French, but the actual meaning behind it is a lot darker. “Quartier Latin” actually represents a time when Kanda was the center of a student movement against the government in the 1960s. Just like the similar movement that took place in Paris.

In the 60’s, the student movement, which focused on pursuing new ideals and opposing social contradictions, was linked to student movements taking place at the same time in the United States, France, and Germany. It was these events that helped to create a whole new student culture across the globe, including hippies. Since Kanda was also a hub of student activities, it also became the base for innovative students and their ideals that helped shape the academic world of today.  And so the neighborhood was named the Japanese Quartier Latin, a center for students and their activities in the country, cementing it as a home for many universities and their students.

Shops to Visit

With the universities came many book stores, selling both old and new books. Even Japanese publishers moved to the area to start publishing their works in Kanda. After this, a lot of restaurants began opening their doors, being not only reasonable in price but hip and cool to help appeal to the students. Next was the music, with instrument stores opening up around the neighborhood, such as the guitar stores, which I will talk about more later. Finally, sports equipment became a trend, and many ski stores opened up, selling equipment to anyone looking to start their skiing adventure. So with this in mind, let’s look at some of the specific places you should visit in Kanda.

Yumeno Manga Bookstore

This is an old bookstore that specialises in manga and animation. They have 20,000 items on offer, which they update regularly, even including draft drawings of manga. Upon visiting the store, I believe you will feel the variety of the Japanese manga culture.

Address: 2-3 Kanda Kosho Center 2F Kanda Jimboucho Chiyoda-ku Tokyo Japan

Phone Number: 03 6256 8993

Opening Hours:  Mon-Sat: 10:00 am to 6:30 pm
Sun. and holidays: 11:00 am to 5:30 pm

Website: http://www.yumeno-manga.com/custom.html

Komiyama Bookstore

Established in 1939, Komiyama Bookstore has been running for over 80 years in Jimbocho, Tokyo. Their store specializes in vintage photo-books and art-books related to fashion, contemporary art and fetish art. It’s the perfect store if you’re looking for something different when it comes to literature.

Address: 1-7 Jimbocho Kanda Chiyoda-ku Tokyo Japan 1010051

Phone Number: 03-3291-0495

Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday: 12:00-18:30
Sunday and National Holiday: 12:00-17:30
※Closed on Tuesday & Wednesday.

Website: https://www.book-komiyama.co.jp/about/shop.php

Kurosawa Gakki

At Kanda, you will soon see that the streets are filled with many musical instrument shops. One of the largest is Kurosawa Gakki. They deal in wholesale and retail sales of musical instruments, including violin, cello, double bass, guitar, bass, ukulele, drums, electronic piano, wind instruments, and many more. But that’s not all they sell, they also offer sheet music, books, videos and anything else you might need on your musical journey.

Address: 2-4-1 Kanda Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062

Phone Number: +81332935626

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday: 11:00-20:00
Sundays and holidays: 11:00-19:00

Website: https://www.kurosawagakki.com/sh_ocha/eg/index.html#

Lemon Gasui

Now that we’ve covered books and music, let’s move on to some art equipment. Lemon Gasui is a famous art shop in front of Ochanomizu Station. This store has specialized in design materials, architectural modeling materials and art supplies since 1923 for all artists at Ochanomizu.

Address: 〒101-0062 2-6-12, Kanda Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Phone Number: 03-3295-4681

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 10:00～20:00（Art-Framing［B1F］10:00～18:30)
Saturday・Sunday・public holiday: 11:00～19:00

Website: https://lemongasui.co.jp/?lang=en

Nikoraido, Cathedral from Russia

By the way, Kanda has a very foreign-looking landmark, a cathedral, in fact! Nikorai Do (Nikolai Hall) with its architecture originating from Russia. It is a beautiful cathedral, but never overwhelmed with tourists, making it calm and one of the area’s kept secrets. It was built at the end of the 19th century after the country had accepted the trade treaty between Russia and Japan. 

After Russia opened an office in Hakodate, Hokkaido, they wished to build a religious point in the heart of Tokyo. Just like how the Japanese government wanted to build all the new universities at Kanda, the Russians also felt that the neighborhood was the perfect place, noting how people would be able to see the cathedral on the hill. To pair with the gorgeous cathedral, there are several Russian restaurants in Kanda. It is one of the few, but great, opportunities to experience the Eastern European and Slavic cultures within the borders of Japan.

Address: 4 Chome-1-3 Kanda Surugadai, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan

Phone Number: 03-3295-6879

Opening Hours: Please check in advance for viewing times for inside, however, you can always see this building from the outside.

Website: https://nikolaido.org/ 

If you’d like to learn more about the Nikorai Do, check out this article here for a more in-depth look at this incredible landmark!

Yamanoue Hotel

Another landmark that needs to be mentioned when talking about the area is the famous hotel in Kanda, located next to Meiji University, called Yamanoue Hotel**. The name of the hotel means the top of the Kanda Yama (Kanda mountain). So you might be wondering, “Why have it at Kanda?” Well, it’s because before the Edo period, this spot was the literal top of the hill, as described on Meiji University’s home page. The mountain has gotten lower due to sand and stone being used to help reclaim the Hibiya Inlet. But that didn’t stop Kanda’s relationship with its elevation on the hill. Ultimately, the government built new universities, and a Russian Cathedral was built, all because the view from the hill was so good. 

Here is some extra information about the Yamanoue, the hotel at the top of the hill in Kanda:

https://www.meiji.ac.jp/history/meidai_sanmyaku/thema/article/mkmht000000t

https://www.meiji.ac.jp/koho/press/2024/mkmht000001x4wp8.html

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**As of the time of writing, the Yamanoue Hotel is closed to consider measures to address the aging of the building, which has been in operation for 87 years.

Where to Eat

In Kanda, there are many reasonably priced, delicious, and even Western-style foods. Kitchen Calorie, founded in 1953 next to Meiji University, is exactly what students are looking for as a stylish yet inexpensive restaurant that is very popular. It started in my father’s time, and even though my time has passed, this shop is still there. But there are many more spots to grab a bite to eat in the area, so let’s have a look at some of the best restaurants and sweet shops in Kanda. Local eateries are popular throughout Tokyo, being enjoyed by customers across all ages, so no matter how old or young you are here, you’re bound to find something new to enjoy!

Kitchen Calorie – Honten (Jimbocho)

This is a retro restaurant that I ate at repeatedly during my high school and university years. Let me explain more of what I mean when I write “retro”. I think it is because current students do not feel attracted to big dishes, such as pork ginger with onion, so they are more attracted to something different and more out there. As a restaurant that has the word “calories” in its name, most of the dishes will leave you feeling full for less money. I mean, it is definitely young people’s food.  And “retro” also means to me that people my age are still able to enjoy it, making me never feel like I’m out of place when I visit the restaurant, surrounded by both young customers and those my age. Even with the age difference, they all seem to be happy with the 1980s atmosphere.

Address: 3 Chome-10 Kanda Ogawamachi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0052, Japan

Phone Number: +81332913266

Opening Hours: Monday – Wednesday, Friday – Sunday: 11 AM – 4 PM

Website: https://visit-chiyoda.tokyo/app/spot/detail/340

Kitchen Nankai – Jimbocho

There have been many old restaurants around Jimbocho or Ochanomizu; however, I recently noticed that a lot of them are already closed, with no successor. Many of them seem to be the victims of being outdated, no longer appealing to new customers. But I managed to find one that was able to open a new restaurant after the original store closed. Kitchen Nankai serves Katsu Curry, which is different from Indian spicy Curry. Mild curry with cutlets was my absolute soul food during my school days. It is a bit of an expensive curry, primarily due to the cutlets used, but I always felt more grown-up by eating them. Of course, I would like to know how the Indians feel about Japanese curry and how they think it compares.

Address: 1-39-8, Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 

Phone Number: 03-3219-1616

Opening Hours: 11:15～15:00, 17:00～19:30

Website: https://visit-chiyoda.tokyo/app/spot/detail/388

Takemura

My mother always enjoys shopping, visiting as many different shops as possible, however, she always recommends that I go to Takemura. It is a really old sweet shop, built an incredible 95 years ago! In Tokyo, most of the buildings are not as old as those found in Kyoto, primarily due to fires during the WW2 era. However, the Kanda area is close to the Palace, so many of the area’s buildings survived the onslaught.

This sweet shop is famous for Age-manju, or fried manju in English. My mother loved this sweet, she was always looking to eat some Age-manju! I did not know about Fried Manju at that time, but I came to understand very quickly the reason why she was constantly suggesting this sweet to me. Even though it was my first time eating “fried” manju, it was definitely a completely new experience for me. One that I’m sure I will never forget.

Address: 1-19, Kanda-Sudacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Phone Number: 03-3251-2328

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm (L.O. 7:40 pm)

Website: https://visit-chiyoda.tokyo/app/en/spot/detail/360

Sankoen

Sankoen was founded in 1956, and many of its customers have been coming for four generations, whilst it continues to serve the same delicious food. Sankoen has a menu of 100 items. The most popular item is undoubtedly the “fried dumplings.” Fresh vegetables and seasonings delivered daily are added to high-quality minced pork, and the mixture is kneaded thoroughly over the course of an hour. The time-consuming filling is then wrapped in a custom-made skin, and the preparation is complete. After that, when the customer places their order, our skilled chefs will carefully fry the dumplings. The outside is fragrant, and the inside is full of juicy meat filling. Once you try it, you’ll be hooked.

Address: 1-13 Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0051

Phone Number: 03-3291-8186

Opening Hours: Weekdays 11:00-2:00 (LO 1:30)
Sundays and holidays 11:00-22:00 (LO 21:30)

Website: https://www.sansou-gr.co.jp/gyoza-sankouen/

For two centuries now, Kanda has been a hill where you can experience life in a more exciting, deeper and broader way. The history of the Japanese “Quartier Latin,” Nikorai Do, Yamanoue Hotel, guitar shops and art equipment shops and restaurants and old Takemura sweet shops all make Kanda a special place for not only students but those who have grown up in the area. Kanda provides most of all for students who start their new life in Tokyo and dream of a wonderful student life. It is different from Shinjuku, Ginza, and Akihabara; Kanda has always had students’ dreams and power in mind.

Featured Photo Credit: IM_photo

There are so many hidden gems to discover in Tokyo, just like this neighborhood! Check out our Tokyo Tours and book an unforgettable adventure today!