Last Updated: Jul 4, 2023

Sugamo’s Crimson Panties

Backyard Tourism Vol. 4

Welcome back to yet another installment of Backyard Tourism! As with all the other articles in this series, I am going to try to show how just about anywhere in Japan can be appealing to overseas guests if they are marketed properly. As long time readers are aware, I started this collection back in 2019 after a particularly frustrating meeting with a local government’s communications team. Frankly put, I am just sick of out of touch old men mucking things up when it comes to attracting foreign visitors. Backyard Tourism is therefore my attempt to prove to these ancient skeletons that digital marketing and proper storytelling can transform a place into one worth visiting.

Anyway, my indignation now thoroughly vented, let’s get on with the show. In this essay, we are going to take a look at the area of Sugamo. This quaint town is located smack dab in the middle of Tokyo. Famous for its lengthy shopping street, Sugamo is well visited by the over-sixty crowd. Because of this peculiarity, Sugamo is often dubbed as the “Harajuku for Grandmas.” As you might imagine with a nickname like that, many of the stores that you’ll find in Sugamo cater to the elderly. In fact, the area’s most infamous offering is its red underwear. According to Chinese medicine, these undergarments are…