Yanaka/Nezu/Sendagi/ Hongo

Yanaka/Nezu/Sendagi/Hongo

Yanaka, Nezu, and Sendagi are collectively called "Yanesen". With an intricate web of alleys and slopes, an old-fashioned townscape featuring old houses and temples built during the Edo, Meiji, and Taisho eras still exists. In recent years, the number of galleries and stores utilizing former private residences and public baths has increased, attracting many young visitors to the area.
In the past, many cultural figures such as the novelists Yasunari Kawabata, Soseki Natsume, and Ogai Mori lived in Yanesen by choice. Therefore, there are many graves of such famous people at the Yanaka Cemetery.
Hongo, a neighboring area, is where the University of Tokyo, the highest educational institution in Japan, is located. This university stands in a location where the residence of the Maeda family of the Kaga domain used to stand in the Edo era. Therefore, many historic sites still remain such as the Akamon which currently serves as the university's symbol.