This tour will take you to Kanda in Chiyoda Ward in Tokyo. It consists of around 30 neighborhoods with universities, residential areas, and businesses. This is where the noble and wealthy used to live during the Tokugawa shogunate, because of its proximity to the Imperial Palace. Kanda used to be the “uptown” of Tokyo, the opposite of Shitamachi (downtown) where the working class lived. You will be visiting the following places in Kanda:

• Smoky Restaurants Along the Train Tracks: The journey starts from Kanda station. We will explore the area around the station and walk beside the train tracks. The red brick walls are unusual in Tokyo, and it’s fun to look at all the little bars and restaurants. There are a lot of workers in this area, so it’s packed with entertainment of all kinds. Even the underpasses have shops and restaurants.
• Lunch at a Timeless Soba-ya: We will take you to one of those buildings that make you stop and stare at it, wondering what goes on inside. Founded in 1884, this restaurant is a long-standing traditional Japanese restaurant specializing in Teuchi (handmade) soba. This is one of the few restaurants that survived the bombings of World War II. Afterward, we will walk around and check out the other beautiful buildings in this area. 
• Akihabara: We will stop in Akihabara for some Purikura (special photo booths) and a drink at one of the many maid (or cat/owl) cafes. When booking this tour please let us know your preference is so we can make reservations. Akihabara is the city of electronics, anime, manga, games, and maid cafes. We will walk along the main road with its huge department stores and game arcades. Then explore the back alleys where all the cluttered little shops are. Even if you are not into anime or electronics, wandering through the madness is highly entertaining.
• Kanda Myojin: Past the busy backstreets of Akihabara is a quiet stretch of residential land, that will lead you to the stairs of Kanda Myojin. This shrine is particularly colorful and a little different than other shrines. You can sense the closeness of Akihabara. These Ema, wooden plaques where you write your prayers, have quite unconventional prints on the back. Kanda Myojin sells lucky charms with anime characters on them and an amulet for protecting your electronics.
• We will stop at a cafe to enjoy a cup of hot or cold amazake. They also serve sweets, some of them made with amazake. The shop was established in 1846 and still uses a traditional recipe of only rice and a fermentation starter, without any additives. Amazake is served with Moromi, a sake fermenting mash.
• Confucian Temple: You will visit one of the biggest Confucian temples in Japan. The temple houses the world’s largest statue of Confucius. The temple grounds are peaceful and immersed in nature.
• Ochanomizu and Guitar Street: Ochanomizu means “tea water”. In the Edo period, the shogun’s tea was made extracting water from the nearby Kanda River, hence the name. This district is filled with hip young people, especially university students. You cannot leave Ochanomizu without visiting the aptly named “Guitar Street”. The road is lined with instrument shops of all kinds, old and new, and it’s considered a musician’s heaven in Tokyo.
• The Book District: The abundance of universities in this area makes this the perfect place for selling books, especially secondhand. With almost 200 bookstores, Jimbocho is considered the go-to place for book lovers.