In Japan many department stores are built adjacent to important train stations - they are often large, modern and well designed but somehow impersonal buildings…
But in same places you can also find small stores, surviving generally right next or under the railway lines, old and weathered but friendly and with a lot of personality. These are often small restaurants, coffee shops or delicatessen stores… typical Japanese places, which became my favorites ever since my first visit here.

And what I like best about these old-and-new combinations is that you can find them not only in the distant neighborhoods but also right in the expensive city centers, like in this photo taken near the Yurakucho Station, in Chiyoda:

Yurakucho, Chiyoda, Tokyo

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Where to travel in Japan, Takasaki and new JR Pass travel tips