Tokyo Walk: Local town walk along the Setagaya Line

Sangen-jaya Station

■Sky Carrot Observation Lobby
It is free to enter the observatory on the 26th floor of Carrot Tower. It is a great spot to see Mount Fuji on clear days in winter. From the observation area facing central Tokyo, you can see Tokyo Tower and TOKYO SKYTREE. With a beautiful night view, this place is designated as one of the Night View Heritages of Japan.

Address: Carrot Tower 26F, 4-1-1 Taishido, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Access: 0 min. walk from Sangen-jaya Sta.
Hours: 9:30-23:00
Closed: the 2nd Wed, New year holidays
https://www.city.setagaya.lg.jp/mokuji/kusei/012/002/d00004091.html 

■Sankaku Chitai (Triangle Area)
A drinking area near Sangen-jaya Station. With various types of drinking places such as Japanese, Western, and Chinese restaurants and bars on both sides of the street, creating a retro atmosphere, the area attracts, as a lively town, not only regular customers but also young people and foreigners.

Address: The triangle area between R246 and Setagaya-dori Street
Access: 5 min. walk from Sangen-jaya Sta.

Wakabayashi Station

■TETENTOTEN
This shop offers colorful unique novelty items, which are only available here, created by various kinds of people, including artists and people with disabilities, collected from all over the world, such as India and Mexico. You will be able to find what you want from a wide selection of items, including colorful hand towels, socks, clothes, ceramics, iPhone cases, and accessories. The shop often holds special exhibitions of novelty items and pop-up events with collaboration with other shops, so you can enjoy yourself there every time you visit.

Shoin-jinja-mae Station

■Shoin-jinja Shrine
This shrine enshrines the deified spirit Yoshida Shoin, who was an educator and thinker in the late Edo period (19th century). It is famous for enshrining a deity of learning.

Kamimachi Station

■Setagaya Boro-ichi Market
This market is a symbolic traditional event of Setagaya, with a history of about 440 years. It began when markets with street vendors started in the late 16th century, when free peddling was allowed. Originally, used clothing was the main commodity, but now a wide range of things, from antiques, old books, and plants to groceries, are sold.

Address: Boroichi-dori Street at Setagaya 1-chome and the surrounding area
Access: 3 min. walk from Setagaya Sta. and Kamimachi Sta.

Event dates: a total of 4 days in December and January
*This market was canceled in the fiscal year 2020.

■Setagaya Daikan Yashiki
This is the only official governmental residence of daikan (Edo-period prefectural governor) in Tokyo. It was constructed in the mid-Edo period (17th-18th centuries). It is located on the Boroichi-dori Street, where Boroichi Market is held, and is designated as a nationally important cultural property of a typical upper-class house in the mid-modern period.

Address: 1-29-18 Setagaya, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Access: 5 min. walk from Kamimachi Sta.
Hours: 9:00-17:00
Closed: Mon, holidays
https://www.city.setagaya.lg.jp/mokuji/kusei/012/011/002/d00138265.html

Miyanosaka Station

■Gotokuji Temple
Said to be the birthplace of manekineko (lucky cat figurines), this temple has about 4,000 manekineko figurines on the grounds. It is said that you can get further luck by bringing back your manekineko after it has granted your wish; therefore, there are lots of manekineko figurines returned by people.

Address: 2-24-7 Gotokuji, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Access: 5 min. walk from Miyanosaka Sta., 10 min. walk from Yamashita Sta.
Hours: 6:00-18:00 *The office is open from 8:00-17:00 (Varies according to the season)

You can see a former Setagaya Line tramcar placed next to the station!

■Mahorodo Sogetsu
This homemade wagashi (Japanese sweets) shop has a sophisticated modern atmosphere. You can enjoy not only delicious standard wagashi made with red beans, such as daifuku, dorayaki, yokan, and warabi-mochi (bracken-starch dumpling), but also unique original seasonal wagashi created with new ideas of the owner. One of the popular wagashi is “aomame-daifuku,” with a perfect balance between not-too-sweet red-bean paste and saltiness of aomame green beans. “Manekineko-dora” is dorayaki with a manekineko mark branded on with a hot iron, characterized by its rich butter flavor. You can relax with a cup of tea and wagashi while looking at the Setagaya Line.

Address: Windsor Place 103, 1-38-19 Miyasaka, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Access: 3 min. walk from Miyanosaka Sta.
Hours: 10:00-18:00
Closed: Mon (or the following day when it falls on a national holiday)
http://www.mahorodou-sougetsu.com/

Shimo-takaido Station

The area surrounding this station has old-style shopping streets, restaurants, and a small movie theater.
If you use the line several times in one day, it is recommended to get a Setagaya Line Explorer Ticket.

A special tram wearing a wrap of manekineko

“Lucky Manekineko Train” has been running since May 2019, the 50th anniversary of the Setagaya Line.

Lucky Manekineko Train　画像提供：東急電鉄(株)

Cat-shaped straps on the train!

Lucky Manekineko Train　画像提供：東急電鉄(株)