The thrill list for Tokyo’s street style may seemed well-stamped: From the hyped beast of Daikanyama to Shimokitazawa’s youth quake up to the famed cos-play in Ura Harajuku. But just thirty minutes away from this neon-lit burlesque lies another realm of the senses. These once sleepy hollows – Ueno, Asakusa, and Yanaka – are the new pleasure quarters. Here, you’ll find delightful craftwork, hyper local foods and urban wanderlust, forged from the clash of past and present. Come walk the wild side for secrets to a new Tokyo in the old city.

Ueno .上野 . From Blackmarket to Craftmarket

Ueno, for two hundred years, was the Tokugawa Shogunate’s sacred site. Mystics believed it was to placate the demon gate, or kimon, located right smack in Ueno’s unlucky northeast axis from central Edo Castle. Realists scoffed as the lucky charms fell foul when the ruinous 1886 Civil War broke out on Ueno Hill, bringing down the Shogun’s feudal luxe lifestyle. Lands were made public and museums put in. Fast-forward to the 1950s and the area near Ueno JR station nosedived into a postwar black-market skid row. Today, the Americans may have left but the street markets remain on the other side of the tracks. Follow the rail lines, and you’ll uncover delightful sparks in the renewed colourful chaos.

At Ueno station, look for the gardens exit. Take the high ground and walk towards Ameyokocho, the former tradesman section that once serviced the Shogunate’s needs. Meander along the now slaphappy fruit stands and all manner of dried fish to a handsome brick building, Hakusan Megane. Here, Yoko Ono introduced John his iconic granny glasses. The buzz, however, is in the superb craft collab with local design powerhouses like Beams. Notably, it’s the hand-finished zyl acetate collection that helped frame this quiet fame monster, beloved by in the know celebs. Veer to the path on left, and you’ll run into Nakata Shoten, the reverential pit stop for all things military cool. Set designers and filmmakers come here for wardrobe authenticity. You too can keep it real by grabbing a ‘boyfriend shirt’ in non-BAPE irony camo. Later, fill up on street snacks while trailing the over ground south bound JR line to arrive at 2K540 Aki-Oka.

Pull into this must-see craft collective under the railway tracks. Tradesmen come from all over Japan to continue the area’s legacy as a craft hub. At Norca, magnificent Hokkaido highland woods are transformed – wafer thin fans spliced and digitally etched, clocks carved from single blocks – into handmade heartfelt pride. The future is plastics at Toumei: Houseware, jewelry, and smart toys are displayed in an ice cool resin box of a shop. Spend time at Hacoa, your modernist craft emporium that curates the best young talent working in glass, fabric and wood. In contrast, visit Kiriya Tanaka to gawk at decorative arts and inlays since 1892 while the trains rumble above. And as the day wanes, close it out with a cultural jaunt to the nearby Shitamachi Museum, to experience the vivid diorama of Ueno’s tradesmen’s past.

Asakusa . 浅草 . Raise the Food Lantern

When the worlds of brothels and temples collide, inevitably, there’s always good food. Asakusa is brimming with such contrasts. On the one hand, there’s the northern swath of the Yoshiwara, a red-light area dating back to the seventeenth century. These “soap lands,” a modern euphemism for legal body contact, are still heaving with patrons on any given night. While on the other southern end, steely priests hold court in the well-known Sensō-ji temple, embracing the endless tourists and post-modern riverscape. In between, the weaving streets are filled with some of Tokyo’s most memorable food craft. Many started more than a century ago during the Meiji period. Almost all have a laid back style and attitude typical of these eastern city parts. So, kick back your Chanel espadrilles, fire up your keitai’s GPS, and go forth with an open heart and empty stomach.

Start your morning at a kissaten, the japanese postwar version of a western coffee/tea parlor. Angelus is a retro throwback to the era of post war salarymen and bookish students. Think Wong Kar Wai’s “Days of Being Wild.” Time stands still as you mull over a drip coffee while day dreaming oodles of lusty noodles for lunch. Soba is the traditional choice for Tokyo folks. In Asakusa, the soba craft is truly elevated, bordering on obsession. Rock it old skool at Owariya, operating since 1870. Order the prawn tempura on toothsome house made soba (ten-soba). No lingering. You leave quietly, marveling at its efficiency and delicateness. Or, go for broke on a new style twist.  Soba Shonin’s  signature dish is a five-variety handmade soba: shiso, lemon, buckwheat, green tea, and mountain yam. Slug it down with side dishes like grilled soba and pickles for a most satisfying palate cleanser.

Bring out your domestic goddess via a side stop to Kappabashi, or kitchen tool town. Just fifteen minutes away from Senso-ji is a treasure trove of specialty kitchenware. Talk about specialisations! Swoon over beautiful Damascus etched knives with hand carved cherry wood handles at Kamata Knives. All things bamboo can be found at Kondo. For the coffee nerds, there are three floors of tools and equipment at Union Coffee Company. Young artisans are now moving into this once sleepy street. Bridge Cafe, an offshoot of Daisuke Hamada’s cult Little Nap Coffee by Yoyogi Park, sits in the cavernous offices of design firm Sturdy Style. Ask for the refreshing affogato or the precisely made drip coffee option. Fuel for thought as you grab a bunch of lifelike sushi magnets from nearby stores to pimp up those fridge notes back home.

Dinner options in Asakusa can be a dazzling affair. For beef, stampede down to Imahan, on site since 1875.  The highest grade wagyu is used in classic sukiyaki and shabu-shabu prep with house made condiments. Summer eel, lovingly grilled to perfection over glowing coals, is best enjoyed at Maekawa, right by the river’s edge. After all, they’ve been at it for the last two hundred years starting out as a fishmonger. Classic tempura house, Nakasei, is a delectable oasis set back against the hurly burly streets. For foodie sleuths, wander out towards Iriya for Otafuku, or Bon. The former is a sheer oden delight – street food gone upscale in a lighter, more nuanced kansai-style. Pick on tasty morsels of fish and vegetable simmered slowly in a secret family dashi broth. In the latter, cleanse your mind and spirit with a multi-course seasonal vegetarian kaiseki (shōjin ryōri). Who knew vegetables have so much vim and style vitality?

Yanasen . 谷根千 . Lost in Transition

You’ll have to get lost in this neighborhood to appreciate its alluring charms: low-slung houses with wispy wisteria falling onto sleepy lanes dotted with temples and artisanal shops. Spared the American carpet-bombing during the closing months of WWII, the area retains a liberal, more relaxed Tokyo aura of the Taishō (1912 – 1926) period. Folks are friendly, and family businesses remain the norm. Pet cats roam the streets, and bikeways stream smiles, no locks needed. Yanasen is the best example of the shitamachi, or “low city,” a geographical contrast to the main wards of Shinjuku et al on higher ground in the west. It’s also a cultural counterpoint – low key, low pretense, but staunchly personal – to western Tokyo’s hyper frenetic, often politely cold, beat. Nowhere is more evident than on “Snake Street.”

To get to hebi mechi, stop off at Nippori station. Follow the hill and slither down Yanaka Ginza. Delightful food stalls line the street – from Portuguese-style croquettes to waguri, a homespun french-fused chestnut dessert. Set back in a quiet corner is Kanekichi En. Spring offers up classics like shade grown gyokuro and first flush senchas, while late summer brings out dark roasted hojicha. Tea’s not your thing? Amble down to the original Yanaka Coffee store shop front. Take in the constant whirl of appreciative customers and custom blends from around the world. Along the snaky path towards Nezu, hidden behind the centuries old Nezu Shrine, is the city’s magnificent azalea gardens. For two weeks in late April, the riotous colors will make an Impressionist palette weep with joy. Just in time to stroll across the sprawling Yanaka Cemetery, where you’ll find cherry blossoms in blinding banks to rival the best views in all of Tokyo.

Side stepping from the beaten path, however, are some of my favorite serendipitous moments in Yanesen: Discovering storefronts like Kikumi Senbei where the owner stands proud with her time honoured traditional biscuits; Or wandering into Imojin, a shaved ice shop where a classic hand cranked shaver delivers the fluffiest ice powder this side of Hokkaido; Stumbling into Isetatsu that still showcases the ebbing craft of handmade woodblock dyed paper (chiyogami).

But not all in Yanesen are memoirs of an elliptical past. Many young firms are retooling their craft in this once sleepy area. Tokyo Bike started here with outposts also in Singapore and London. And it’s the best way to explore with hourly or day rentals. Try on a sweet surprise at Amezaiku Yoshihara. In this tiny workshop, see how hot glucose is transformed by hand into magical cats and dragons. Marvel at the dexterity in the pinches and pulls that delighted centuries of temple goers. Bike down the hill towards  SCAI Bathhouse, the first art gallery to move into a former public bathhouse, sento, renewing commerce in old spaces. Architecturally, Nezu Kamachiku brings home the feel of this reviving area. The walls of this century old grain house are left intact while supporting one of the most intriguing izakaya experiences in the city. Sakes are small batched, and plates are strictly seasonal, like sweet summer whelks soaked in cold dashi.  Its home run is the house made Kagawa style udon that has locals queuing up for reservations, quite unheard of in these informal parts of town.

Exploring these areas feel like a love letter to Tokyo all over again. It’s not the first flush of bright lights, big city. But falling madly, deeply, into another experience. In a time thick with hashtags and social proofing, these places are a reminder of quiet authenticity. This rage against the machine’s not unlike the new informal foods and crafts movements driving Dalston and Bethnal Green in East London, downtown Oakland skirting San Francisco, or in parts of HongKou and ShiLiuPu districts in Shanghai. But in Tokyo, the hidden jump cuts are more vivid, whispers of the city’s pillow book calling out for the perfect day to spend with you.

ELLE Singapore, published May 2014