Japan's largest music store district and sports shop street are found in the vicinity of JR Ochanomizu Station.

Surugadai area, from JR Ochanomizu Station to Ogawa-cho area, is dotted with many universities built in the second half of the 19th century, such as Meiji University and Chuo University. Thus, this neighborhood has been busy as a student quarter since before the Second World War. On the other hand, Western music began to spread thanks to the establishment of orchestras at the beginning of the 20th century. The first music stores began to be erected in Ochanomizu area, one of the most convenient areas in Tokyo, around in those years. As a result of the boom of jazz and pops after the war, this area gradually developed into a full-fledged music store district. About 40 stores, some of them are focusing on a specific instrument, secondhand instrument and just for a lefty.
In addition, rapid popularization of sports, before and after the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964, also boosted the sporting goods district in this neighborhood, Ogawa-cho area very close to the music instrument quarter. Because of young students being interested in many things, these two types of unique areas are always busy.

Licensed tour guide/travel consultant,
Masahisa Takaki.

Guidance, warning tile blocks for the visually impaired are found on the walkways, platforms and such other places in Japan.

Most non-Japanese firstcomers to Japan notice that yellow tile blocks of 30 cm-square are paved on the public places like walkways and platforms. These blocks, which are to safely lead the visually impaired to their destinations, were invented in 1965 and started to be installed in 1967. Also for a weak-sighted person, these blocks are yellow in most cases. There are two types of blocks. The ones with parallel lines are for showing the direction, and the other ones with many dots are to draw attention. A totally blind person can get necessary information by the change of sound from walking stick as well as by the feel of soles on these blocks.

Licensed tour guide/travel consultant,
Masahisa Takaki.

'Hakata-bei' means an earthen wall, which was built in the heart of Hakata present Fukuoka City in Kyushu in the second half of the 16th century.

Fukuoka City, the largest city in Kyushu, was devastated by civil wars between feudal lords in the 16th century. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who got all the feudal lords in Japan under control to unify Japan, initiated the restoration of this old city, then Hakata, right after the unification. But it was urgent need at that time to clear away the heaps of rubble, so the people in Hakata used these debris as the construction materials for the earthen walls for town zoning. The earthen walls with unique exterior as shown in the picture used to run everywhere in the heart of Hakata, and was called Hakata-bei. The picture shows the reconstructed Hakata-bei of Rakusui-en Japanese Garden in Fukuoka City. These unique walls also can be found at Kushida Shrine and Shofukuji Temple in the heart of the city.

Licensed tour guide/travel consultant,
Masahisa Takaki