Sugamo Jizo-dori Shopping Street

Sugamo's Jizo-dori is a 780-metre shopping street affectionately known as obaachan no Harajuku, 'Granny's Harajuku,' because it caters to and is beloved by Tokyo's older generation the way trendy Harajuku serves the young. It is one of the most charming and unpretentious places to see everyday, traditional Tokyo life carrying on much as it has for decades, and it makes a delightful antidote to the neon and crowds of the city centre.

The street grew up around Koganji temple and its Togenuki Jizo, a healing deity said to remove suffering the way one plucks out a thorn. Pilgrims come to the temple's Arai Kannon, a statue of the bodhisattva that worshippers ladle with water and gently wash on the part of the body where they seek relief — shoulders, knees and backs get plenty of attention. On the market days of the 4th, 14th and 24th of every month, the whole street comes alive with stalls, temple visitors and a genuinely festive, unhurried buzz.

Shopping here is a trip into an older Japan. The signature purchase is akapants — bright red underwear, sold in dozens of styles, believed to bring good health and good luck; shops display them by the rack and older shoppers buy them without a hint of irony. Alongside are stalls of traditional wagashi sweets, salt-daifuku mochi, senbei crackers, pickles, dried goods, sensible shoes, walking sticks, herbal remedies and warm knitwear. Prices are gentle and the pace is slow; shopkeepers are happy to chat, and the atmosphere is warm, communal and refreshingly free of tourist mark-ups.

The visiting experience is relaxed and deeply human. Wooden benches, tea shops and old-fashioned cafes invite you to sit; you will likely be one of very few foreign visitors, and the welcome is all the warmer for it. The street is flat and step-free, easy for wheelchairs and comfortable for the many older visitors who make it their regular outing. Set aside an hour to amble, sample sweets and visit the temple; combine it with nearby Rikugien, one of Tokyo's finest traditional strolling gardens, a short walk or one stop away.

Any season suits Sugamo, though the market days are the highlight and spring and autumn bring the most pleasant walking weather. Getting there is easy and, unusually for these back-street picks, JR Pass friendly: Sugamo Station sits on the JR Yamanote Line as well as the Toei Mita subway line, and the entrance to Jizo-dori is a three-minute walk from the north exit. A Suica or Pasmo IC card works throughout.