“Hiking alone in the mountains—this time to myself is more luxurious than anything”

Though his frequent travels transport him to exotic locales, Takahiro Kinoshita keeps Japan close to his heart. The editor in chief of POPEYE, the much-loved men’s fashion magazine, Takahiro was born and raised in the picturesque Shizuoka prefecture, south of Mount Fuji. He eventually moved north to Tokyo, where he currently lives in an apartment just outside of the city center with his wife and two young sons. “The first evening I have at home after a long trip is always spent with my family, listening to my sons’ stories about what happened while I was away,” he says. When it comes to escaping the hustle of Tokyo, Takahiro often likes to stay rooted in Japan instead of traveling far from home: For his next vacation, he hopes to make trips to Kōzu-shima and Aogashima, which are two isolated islands off the coast of Tokyo. While work keeps Takahiro busy, he also enjoys visiting Japan’s many majestic national parks when he truly wants to relax. “Packing a tent, sleeping bag and food and hiking alone in the mountains—this time to myself is more luxurious than anything,” he says, naming the ranges of Yatsugatake, Kamikōchi and Hotaka in the Northern Alps as his favorites. For people visiting Tokyo, Takahiro recommends classic areas such as Shinjuku, Aoyama and Ginza, but if they want to see the “real” Tokyo, he suggests heading to Mount Takao, which is a tranquil recreation area and nature reserve just an hour away from Shinjuku. “Sometimes you can lose a sense of the real Tokyo, but if you go to Mount Takao, you can see the average people who live in Tokyo in their true colors,” he says. “You can also observe a view of Tokyo and Mount Fuji in the distance, which is another one of its appeals.”

5 Quiet Places in Tokyo

Yanagi Shop

It’s very small, but I think it’s very Tokyo: There’s also a lab and workshop close by where the designer Sori Yanagi worked before he passed away.

Meikyoku Kissa Lion

You can escape the busyness and quietly drink a cup of coffee in this café in Shibuya.

Magnif

The neighborhood of Jinbōchō is famous for its secondhand bookstores. If you want to know more about the Japanese magazine subculture, I recommend this shop.

Genkido

Also located in Jinbōchō, this bookstore is particularly good for art and design books.

Tsuruhachi

This restaurant serves really delicious and traditional Edo-style sushi. You’ll need to make a reservation and follow typical Japanese manners.