Wander northeast of Ikebukuro and you get into an interesting area of Tokyo. The above pic is of the Yamanote Line tracks just a bit away from the station. Cross the bridge and you head through the Toshima and Sugamo districts (famed former site of the Sugamo Prison). The whole area is definitely shitamachi - downtown Tokyo - but has a feel distinctly different from the Asakusa/eastern shitmachi area.
While the population in the area is low and declining every year, there is still very much a crowded feel to the tiny crisscrossing streets.
A cute gold and white cat pauses to take a late morning bath.
The Sugamo area is quite hilly and seemingly not the best place for residential building, but they've found a way to jam in as many apartments and small houses as they can. Along with graffiti on walls, signs warning of bag snatchers and loitering dudes in suits chain smoking all give you a "Uh-oh, should I be here?" feeling, but I don't think the area is any more dangerous in actuality than most of Tokyo. Yes, it's kind of run-down, but the area is quiet and seemingly very peaceful.
Otsukaekimae Station, tucked neatly under the main Yamanote tracks. Yes, the station's name means "In front of Otsuka Station" Station.
I'll leave you with another cat picture. He seemed friendly enough, like the rest of the area.
On the way to Sugamo Station at near the end of my walk a Japanese kid saw me and commented, "Eigo no hito" (英語の人), meaning "It's an English speaker." I guess I prefer that to being called a gaijin (外人) - foreigner. Yes, the kid is making a snap decision based on my appearance, and yes it could be considered rude to comment about a stranger, but English speaker feels less us-versus-them to me.
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