Leading the way under the rumbling train tracks, Rory Dent salutes Daitoryo (which means ¡°president¡± in English), a storied izakaya pub at an intersection of Ueno¡¯s smoke-filled alleys packed with bars and eateries serving up grilled chicken and pork skewers, Japanese tripe stew and a variety of other cheap, small dishes ¡ª not to mention plenty of booze.
¡°This place (Daitoryo) got its license in 1950,¡± the British tour guide explains as we stroll around this bustling neighborhood in the capital¡¯s Taito Ward. The shopping and entertainment district is crowded with locals and tourists alike, but it¡¯s nowhere near the levels of congestion seen at such tourist magnets as Harajuku¡¯s Takeshita Street or Asakusa¡¯s Sensoji temple.
¡°This area is the birthplace of postwar Tokyo ¡ª it¡¯s unpretentious to the max,¡± he says. ¡°It¡¯s not hard at all to find somewhere interesting in Tokyo that¡¯s not full of people.¡±
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