中目黒

Nakameguro, Tokyo
Saturday & Sunday, August 4 & 5, 2018

One of my favorite aspects of Tokyo is that, while being a megalopolis, its neighborhoods feel and function like many smaller, individual cities. A few metro stops either way from my home station of Nakameguro, the atmosphere quickly changes between the cake and coffee shops of Jiyugaoka, the expensive and trendy Daikanyama, and the complete electric overload that is the Shibuya crossing. Many neighborhoods have their own unique history and culture, which I feel is what really gives Tokyo its vibrancy.

Nakameguro holds its own summer festival in early August, which I was able to get out to this year. It featured two nights of parades, traditional dance groups and drumlines, as well as plenty of street vendors selling alcohol and snacks. It felt a little something like this:

The little used book shop below is my favorite spot in Nakameguro. The older gentleman on the left is the proprietor, although how he gets in or out or accomplishes any work at all is a mystery to me. On a normal day he gives the impression that he doesn’t suffer fools lightly—certainly not a goofy foreigner with a big camera—so I used the commotion of the festival to finally snap a shot of the storefront.

I’d also like to give a shout-out to this heavenly bowl of tonkotsu ramen I had after the parades. It turned out to be a bit heavy for a humid August evening, but I mean, just look at this thing!