I had the walking tour with Yoshimi. We started with the cemetery right next to the Nippori train station where she explained the symbolism behind the design of the graves and how it relates to Buddhism. If you think this visit to the graves are akin to a ghost tour, you are very wrong ! There is nothing scary about it, in fact, the Yanaka cemeteries are very well kept and peaceful.
Also, if you love cats, this is a very suitable tour for you as Yanaka is also known as a cat town. There are many stray (healthy and fat, nonetheless) cats roaming the small town, minding their own business. I'd like to think some of the cats are the reincarnated spirits of the people that have graves there!
I also learned so much about the culture of the Japanese during the walking tour - the history of Japan (Tokugawa's clan), Buddhism and Shintoism, the history of Yanaka where half of the town survived the WWII bombings (hence, many of the preserved, historical sites including the temples) are still available. We also visited some of the quaint, old shops called the Yanaka's Ginza that still preserved the old world charm.
I thoroughly enjoyed the 4 hours of the trip and it was really worth it. Two thumbs up !!
