By Futoshi Mori / Japan News Senior Writer

Many of Tokyo’s ramen shops are somewhat modest in size — not least because of the capital’s high rents. But Iikao, located near the Togenuki Jizo shopping street in Sugamo, is small even by Tokyo standards, with only four seats at the counter. The easy-going owner of the Showa-era-like store serves up conscientiously prepared fare and my visit left me with warm feelings of nostalgia and a deep sense of satisfaction.

I alighted at Sugamo Station on the JR Yamanote Line and found the entrance to Sugamo Jizo-dori Shopping Street — often referred to as “Grandma’s Harajuku” — right in front of me. I’ve lived in Tokyo for a long time, but this was my first visit to Grandma’s Harajuku. It was a hot day, and, perhaps because of this, there were few people out and about. After walking along the street for about 10 minutes, I came across Koshinzuka, a roadside small shrine dedicated to Shomen Kongo. Iikao sits right next to it and is only a one-minute walk from Koushinzuka Station on the tramcar-based Toden Arakawa Line.