| Yanaka Ginza is a famous shopping street that allows visitors to catch a glimpse of old Japan and pick up some souvenirs as well. Additionally, during the early Edo period, a large number of temples were built in the Yanaka area and neighboring Ueno. Following an urban renewal plan after the Meireki Fire - a giant fire that destroyed much of Edo in 1657 - temples in the neighboring Kanda district were moved to this area, and temples came to dominate the townscape. With the relocation of the temples, the carpenters and other artisans who worked on them also moved in. Yanaka became an area populated by artisans and frequented by people visiting their family graves, and vestiges of this past remain today. Although Tokyo suffered severe damage from the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 and from bombing during World War II, damage to the area around Yanaka was comparatively slight. |
