Trendy Areas In Tokyo

Introduction

In today’s article i would like to tell you about some trendy areas in Tokyo. These places offer a variety of things to see and do from shopping, eating, drinking, people watching and everything in between. If you come to visit Tokyo, then paying a visit to one or all of these places will definitely be worthwhile. So without further ado let’s find out where these places are!

Shimokitazawa

One of the trendy areas in Tokyo is Shimokitazawa. Shimokitazawa is located on both the Odakyu Line and the Keio Inokashira Line. It is about 5 minutes away by train from both Shinjuku and Shibuya. Located in Setagaya ward, it is also known as “Shimokita”. Shimokitazawa is famous for the many small fashion shops, restaurants, theaters, cafes, bars and Live Houses (a type of Japanese music venue)

The streets are very narrow with limited access for vehicles. Due to this many of the more popular domestic and foreign brands have no interest in setting up shop in the area. This in turn has helped the smaller shops to survive. There are also a number of vintage shops selling everything from secondhand clothes to records to novelty items.

Kichijoji

Another one of the trendy areas in Tokyo is Kichijoji. Kichijoji is located about a 10 minute train ride from Shinjuku on the Chuo Line. It is also about a 10 minute train ride from Shimotitazawa on the Keio Inokashira Line. Other Lines that connect to Kochijoji are the Sobu Line and the Tozai Subway Line.

Here you can find a variety of bars, cafes and restaurants. Prices range from cheap to very expensive. Kichijoji is popular among younger shoppers during the weekend due to the wide range of shopping and eating options. Other nearby interesting places include Inokashira Park (south of Kichijoji Station) and the Ghibli Museum located in Mitaka City.

In spring, Inokashira Park is a popular place to go to see the cherry blossoms. Also inside the park you will find a lake, street performers, coffee shops, food vendors and a zoo. The Ghibli Museum displays works of various Japanese animation and is also located within Inokashira Park.

Kichijoji is often ranked as one of the most desirable places to live in Tokyo.

Daikanyama

Next on the list we have Daikanyama. This is another one of the trendy areas of Tokyo. It is about a 2 minute train ride or about a 15 minute walk on foot from Shibuya. Here you will find many trendy restaurants, upscale boutique stores, cafes and even tree-lined streets for pedestrians. In contrast to the typical hustle and bustle image of downtown Tokyo, Daikanyama has a more relaxed and casual feel to the it.

In addition you will find parks, modern architecture and traditional Japanese style homes all in the same area. Some popular places to visit are the Saigoyama Park, Kyu Asakura House, Hillside Terrace and Tsutaya Books. As for dining, there are a number of popular places such as Ivy Place, Garden House Crafts, King George and La Boutique Cafe.

Roppongi Hills

Many times when talking about trendy areas in Tokyo Roppongi Hills often comes up. This is truly a city within a city. The concept of Roppongi Hills came from Minoru Mori a real estate tycoon here in Tokyo. Back in the late 80’s he envisioned a place in Tokyo where people could live, dine, shop and have fun all within close proximity. This would improve quality of life and reduce commuting time. And this in turn would increase a person’s productivity according to his theory. However, although the area is very nice, the average businessperson in Tokyo cannot afford to live in Roppongi Hills.

The main building is the Mori Tower which is 54 stories high and mainly consists of offices. The first 6 floors contain restaurants, cafes and retail shops. There are also the Roppongi Hills Residences which are the ultimate in luxury condominiums. But be warned, monthly rent ranges from USD$4,000 all the way up to the penthouse suite which is USD$40,000 per month!

For those of you out there who have have deep pockets and don’t mind spending more for comfort and luxury then perhaps the Roppongi Hills Residences might be the perfect option for you. For more information check out the Mori Living website.

I hope you enjoyed today’s article about trendy areas in Tokyo. If you missed last month’s article on “Working and doing business in Japan“, click here. 

Do you have any questions about living or travelling here in Japan? If you do feel free to ask me in the comments section or message me personally.