Here are the latest and greatest spots of Shimokitazawa, a city full of character!
Shimokitazawa lies in Tokyo’s Setagaya City. Commonly called “Shimokita,” the city cradles a culture of originality while a massive ongoing redevelopment promises plenty of new things to see and do. It’s just one train ride away either on the Keio Line from Shibuya or the Odakyu Line from Shinjuku. The perfect place to head for a change of scene from the city center!
Mikan Shimokita
A new shopping and dining complex that opened on July 28 this year near Shimokitazawa Station on the Keio Inokashira Line.
| Address | 2-11-15 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, etc. |
| URL | https://mikanshimokita.jp/ |
The area has so much to offer, but these three are particularly deep-rooted in Shimokita’s image. Many small theaters and concert halls among a wealth of secondhand clothing stores are a scene found only in Shimokitazawa.
The sight of many small theaters and show bills posted throughout the town makes us feel close to the world on stage.
Flash Disc Ranch
A store carrying secondhand imported records, open since 1982 The wide selection and reasonable prices are drawing a growing number of overseas buyers. Shimokitazawa is renowned for its countless record stores.
Business hours: 12:00-20:00&
Closed: Wednesdays
Address: Misuzu Building 2F, 2-12-16 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
https://www.instagram.com/flashdiscranch/
The City of Secondhand Clothing
Shimokita garage department
Stores selling used clothing and accessories gather in this garage. Discover unique items that can only be found in Shimokitazawa. Don’t forget the annex in Mikan Shimokita.
Business hours: 12:00 (some shops 11:00) to 20:00 (some shops 21:00)
Closed: Varies according to the shop
Address: 2-25-8 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
http://www.k-toyo.jp/
Japan’s “shotengai” shopping street is reimagined as its own little town with houses that double as restaurants, shops, and plazas. Here you’ll find a collection of unique shops where you can meet the owners, who range from sole proprietors to young people in search of a new challenge.
| Address | 2-36-12 to 15 Daita, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo |
| URL | https://bonus-track.net/ |
An inn in the city center with open-air hot spring baths fed by waters brought from Hakone, a famous onsen area in Kanagawa Prefecture. Relax amid an atmosphere as serene as a ryokan in a mountain village, even while in Tokyo. Choose from a range of dining and day trip onsen packages as well.
| Address | 2-31-26 Daita, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo |
| URL | https://www.uds-hotels.com/yuenbettei/daita/ |
In the past few years, curry shops have proliferated to the point where Shimokitazawa is now known as “sacred ground for spice curry.” Even in such a fiercely competitive market, there’s a crowd lined up every day at this soup curry shop. The spicy excitement of the curry piled high with vegetables and meat will have you coming back again and again.
| Address | 1-40-15 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo |
| Business hours | 11:30-23:00 (weekdays 15:00-17:30 break) |
| Regular holiday | Tuesdays and Wednesdays |
| URL | http://www.magicspice.net/framepage11.html |
A store specializing in lattes with an attached art gallery. Enjoy the classic flavor and latte art crafted by the barista. With its calm atmosphere, the cafe is the perfect place for a rest. You can also experience making latte art.
| Address | 2-30-11 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo |
| Business hours | Monday to Friday 11:30 to 19:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:30 to 19:00 |
| Regular holiday | Open 365 days |
| URL | https://www.instagram.com/ballondessai.latte_art/ |
Shimokitazawa’s streets overflow with antique shops. Focused mainly on Japan-made interior goods from the 1970s, the shop offers a stellar lineup of retro pop furniture and homeware. Step into another age and enjoy the good ol’ days of Japan.
| Address | 3-34-2 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo |
| Business hours | 13:00-19:00 |
| Regular holiday | No fixed holiday |
| URL | https://www.amastore.jp/ |
A well-established Japanese tea specialty store whose staff includes a “10th Level Chashi (tea master),” the pinnacle of achievement in the Japanese tea industry. In October 2021, it relocated to “reload,” one of Shimokita’s newest complexes. The rich flavor of the matcha latte is unparalleled.
| Address | reload1-11, 3-19-20 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo |
| Business hours | Sales: 9:00-19:00, Cafe: 14:00-18:00 |
| Regular holiday | Wednesdays (excluding special items on the 27th and 28th of every month) |
| URL | https://shimokita-chaen.com/ |
