A Colombian-Born Writer Walks Kanda’s “Layers of Time”: Kanda Matsuya, Kissa Hotaka, Record-sha and Isseido Bookstore | Contribution

“Rome’s layers are physical. Tokyo’s layers are cultural.” Simon Arango Baquero—born in Medellín, Colombia, a student of Japan at Harvard University and now working in Tokyo—walks through Kanda Matsuya, a soba restaurant founded in 1884; Kissa Hotaka, a kissaten (a traditional Japanese coffee house); the record shop Record-sha; and Isseido Bookstore, housed in a building from 1931, to read the layers of time stacked up in Kanda. (From “Tracing Tokyo’s Layers: A Stroll Through Kanda’s Gems” in the July 2025 issue of Hon no Machi)

*This article was published in the July 2025 issue of Hon no Machi (issued June 10, 2025). Expressions such as “two years ago” and descriptions of the shops reflect the time of publication.

Tracing Tokyo’s Layers: A Stroll Through Kanda’s Gems

Simon Arango Baquero

Two years ago, I graduated from Harvard University with a degree in East Asian Studies, focusing on Japan, and decided to try the salaryman life in Tokyo so that I could immerse myself in the everyday rhythm of the country I had been studying. To sum up the past two years in a word, it has not always been smooth sailing. But I have been fortunate to meet people who enrich my intellectual and spiritual life, such as the owner of Shakespeare Gallery, a small gallery in Ochanomizu that handles 20th-century Western-style paintings. There I was introduced to many Japanese painters who traveled all the way to Europe in search of new modes of expression and brought that experience back to Japan. The result was a body of work that brilliantly fuses European styles with Japanese subjects and scenery—a wonderful example of how the synthesis of time and space has become one of the hallmarks of modern Japanese culture.

Tokyo has long been building its own vision of modernity. If you visit Rome, you may learn that the city was built up in layers over the course of history. Tokyo has layers too, but they are cultural rather than physical. Kanda is the perfect neighborhood to experience these many layers of Tokyo. It is lined with shops rooted in history, offering everything from time-honored dishes to rare ukiyo-e woodblock prints, and gives you a glimpse of how urban life in Tokyo has evolved.

Kanda Matsuya: Keeping Edo’s Fast Food Alive

Japanese food culture runs very deep, and Kanda is an ideal place to experience a slice of it. Two hundred years ago there were no convenience stores or burger joints, yet locals still wanted a quick meal. In old Tokyo, soba was one of the most popular fast foods—it was even sold at street stalls. So although fast food tends to be seen as a modern invention, the concept itself is nothing new to Tokyo’s residents. Soba still thrives as a quick, satisfying meal, but it now coexists with later inventions such as the egg salad sandwich. Both are fast food with a distinctly Japanese flavor, and each sits in a different layer of the city’s history.

Few soba restaurants still preserve the rustic atmosphere and flavors of those days, but Kanda Matsuya is without doubt a prime example. Founded in 1884, it occupies a wooden townhouse built in 1924, hung with two large lanterns, that feels like slipping back in time to the days when traveling merchants who came from all over the country to do business might have stopped around here for a quick bowl. The dishes are simple yet served on elegant lacquered trays, and they are full of flavor. My favorite is the tempura soba: freshly made, handmade soba noodles in a rich soy-based broth, with freshly fried tempura on the side—warming to the core.

Kissa Hotaka: Afternoon Coffee and a Menu That Never Changes

In the layer of history above that lies the rich café culture Japan built in the 20th century. As a true Colombian, I cannot get through the rest of the day without my afternoon coffee. As a child, I spent afternoons with my aunt at one of the many coffee shops around the city. Every coffee shop carries a certain nostalgia. Because the menus have barely changed, it feels as if you can still faintly hear the echoes of conversations once held there.

Kissa Hotaka is a kissaten that has perfected the kind of retro style that makes anyone feel nostalgic, and at the same time it is a model of the traditional Japanese coffee house. I especially love the kissaten classics, such as a thick slice of white bread spread with marmalade served with coffee, and melon soda, which recalls the ice cream sodas that were popular in 1950s America. You won’t find these dishes back home, but the coziness of the place and the feel of the conversation are exactly the same. The green velvet chairs further enhance the retro aesthetic.

Record-sha: Stepping Away from the Algorithm

As in other countries, many coffee houses in Japan play modern music such as jazz. So it is no coincidence that a place like Kanda, where intellectuals talk over cups of coffee, has so many music shops. Japanese record shops in particular are known for carefully preserving curated collections that trace the evolution of music. I myself never understood why anyone would buy a record player in this day and age—until I visited Record-sha. This three-story shop in a narrow building blurs the line between store, museum and archive, and you can lose yourself for hours in the stacks of records. The selection is wide-ranging, from Japanese folk, city pop, rock and experimental music to global genres such as Italo disco, French chanson and tango. Being surrounded by such a diverse range of music is a perfect chance to break free of music-app algorithms and discover something new. Every time I visit, I feel I am one step closer to finding a great 1980s Japanese song that will become the next viral hit.

Isseido Bookstore: Down to the Layer Before Records

But if you want to go one layer deeper, back to the days before record players, Isseido Bookstore is a must. Housed in an elegant concrete building from 1931, this used bookstore is another shrine to Tokyo’s cultural history. The original Art Deco lamps and the bookshelves built along the walls give the store a timeless, dreamlike atmosphere. What is truly impressive, though, is the selection on the second floor, lined with books on Japanese history and art. Some are rare primary sources, such as a volume recording the U.S. Navy’s first expedition to Japan and a collection of testimony from Commodore Matthew Perry describing Japanese customs of the time.

With its many thousands of books, Isseido Bookstore is the best possible starting point for exploring unique corners of Japanese culture and history during your trip. I particularly enjoy browsing old reference books. Before the internet, authors compiled as much information as they could on a subject into a single volume, and I have come across a number of reference books on Japanese food culture, theater, customs and more. They are packed with valuable knowledge that is probably not even on the internet yet.

I hope to keep exploring Kanda and sharing what I find. I would like to talk with local people and gather stories not only of what is here now, but also of what once was. Many charming shops have already closed—some because their owners retired with no one to take over, others because they were forced out of business. But I want to support the shops that are still going strong today.

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Shops in This Article

Kanda Matsuya (handmade soba)
Address: 1-13 Kanda-Sudacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3251-1556
Closed: Sundays and national holidays

Kissa Hotaka
Address: 4-5-3 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3292-9654
Closed: Sundays and national holidays

Record-sha (used records)
Address: Jonan Kaikan Bldg. 1F, 2-20 Kanda-Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3262-2553
Hours: 11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. / Closed: Sundays
*Moved in July 2025. The “three-story shop” in the article is its former location.

Isseido Bookstore (Japanese and Western books across the humanities and culture)
Address: 1-7 Kanda-Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3292-0071
Closed: Sundays

*Address, phone and closing days are from the Hon no Machi member shop list (September 2026 issue). Hours may change; please check with the shop before you visit.

Simon Arango Baquero
Born in Medellín, Colombia, he moved to the United States with his family at age 10. Drawn to Japan, he taught himself Japanese starting in high school. He graduated from Harvard University in 2022 (East Asian Studies) and has been based in Tokyo since. (Profile as of the July 2025 issue)

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This is the full text of “Tracing Tokyo’s Layers: A Stroll Through Kanda’s Gems” (text by Simon Arango Baquero), published in the July 2025 issue (Vol. 3) of Hon no Machi, the community salon magazine of Kanda, Ochanomizu and Jimbocho.

▶Read the July 2025 issue of Hon no Machi (PDF, in Japanese)

Founded in 1980, Hon no Machi brings you the latest from Book Town every month, together with Jimbocho’s bookstores, publishers, cafés and galleries.

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日本語で読む — Read this article in Japanese