Practical travel advice
From Yanaka to Hanoi: a city at walking pace
Small shops, cafés and pauses offer another way to encounter a city.
Tokyo beyond its skyline
Tokyo’s Yanesen area is known for narrow lanes and small shops. The Tokyo skyline photograph illustrates the city, not Yanaka itself. This story invites a change of scale: beyond major landmarks, a journey can begin by noticing how people shop, pause and talk in their everyday neighbourhood.
Hanoi, a few streets at a time
Hanoi’s Old Quarter brings together architecture, shops and street food. Instead of covering the whole area, choose a short stretch near Hoan Kiem Lake and a few suitable streets. Observe first, ask before taking portraits and pause somewhere with comfortable seating. For an older group, prioritise checking the walking surface and vehicle pickup point.
Exchange begins with attention
Yanaka and Hanoi have different urban histories; the connection here concerns a way of visiting. For a business or study group, a short walk can add perspective after a working session. Shops and residents are not automatically hosts: any planned encounter must be agreed with the people receiving the group.