For anyone in or around Tokyo looking to recapture a glimmer of Japan’s past, a trip to Yanaka is an essential component of anyone’s trip.

Located within easy reach of either the Nippori or Nezu train stations, Yanaka is a beautiful district, with buildings dating back as far as Japan’s Edo period.

And if this isn’t enough to warrant a call home, the fact that the area survived both the bombings of World War II and a massive earthquake in 1923 is surely reason enough.

"A passionate band of local vigilantes has taken issue with the construction industry in an attempt to preserve Edo architecture," said the Economist.

"Just wandering though the streets and lanes here is enough to create sympathy for their cause."

And for those looking to capture a glimpse of sakura (cherry blossom) during the springtime, one of the most beautiful areas to do so is inside the Yanaka Cemetery, the resting place of the infamous Tokugawa family.

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