Photo Spot · Yanaka

Yuyake Dandan 夕やけだんだん

The 'sunset steps' at the top of Yanaka Ginza, where you look down the old shopping street as the sun goes down behind it, with neighbourhood cats lounging on the stairs.

About

Yuyake Dandan is a short flight of wide stone steps leading down from the Nippori side into Yanaka Ginza, the retro shopping street of the Yanesen area. Its name means roughly 'sunset staircase', and that is when photographers come: the street runs west, so on clear evenings the sun drops at the far end of the shopping street and silhouettes the lanterns, shop signs and people walking home. The steps are also known for the stray and community cats that sun themselves on the stone. Shooting from the top with a short telephoto compresses the descending street into layers, while a wide angle from the lower steps shows the stairs and sky.

Highlights

• Sunset straight down the length of Yanaka Ginza
• Silhouettes of shoppers, signs and lanterns
• Neighbourhood cats sunning on the steps
• Retro Showa-era shopfronts below
• Five-minute walk from Nippori Station

Tips

• Golden hour on clear days in autumn and winter is best; the sun sets roughly in line with the street.
• Use a 70-135 mm from the top step to stack the street's layers.
• It is a busy pedestrian route: shoot from the side railing, not the middle of the steps, and no tripods.
• Do not feed or pick up the cats.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Yanaka GinzaLocal Secret · 120 m away
• Asakura Museum of SculptureMuseum · 150 m away
• HAGISOLocal Secret · 170 m away
• YANESEN Tourist Information & Culture CenterTourist Info · 220 m away
• Yanaka Fujimizaka SlopePhoto Spot · 230 m away
• Nippori Station · Keisei & JR Transfer Coin LockersLuggage Storage · 320 m away
• Tennōji TempleTemple · 350 m away
• Nippori Station & Shimogoinden BridgeTransit Hub · 430 m away