Shimokitazawa is an area in central Tokyo that feels like a small town or even a village.
It’s situated around 7 mins by train from Shinjuku on the Odakyu line and about 4 minutes from Shibuya on the Inokashira Line.
The station is an express and a local station and also is connected to the Chiyoda line making it very central indeed.

In 2013, the Odakyu line was moved underground in an amazing feat of engineering with all the trains ceasing and moving to underground tunnels overnight. What was left was a track-sized space through the centre  of Shimokitazawa. No more waiting for the crossings, no more crossing sounds, barriers or train spotting. What happened next was really cool. Small developments cropped up along the underground section of the track which went underground at Higashi Kitazawa and out the other side at Setagaya Daita.

1.
HIGASHI KITAZAWA STATION

2.
MUSTARD HOTEL: https://mustardhotel.com/shimokitazawa/
SIDEWALK COFFEE: https://sidewalk.jp/stores/shimokitazawa.php

3.
RELOAD: https://reload-shimokita.com/
APFR: www.apothekefragrance.jp/en/store/
SEKAI CLASS: sekai-class.com/

4.
SENROGAI EVENT SPACE: senrogai.com/space-rental/

5.
RIPERY’S SUGAR: https://riperys-sugar.com/

6.
PETIT GARDEN: http://www.petitgarden.net/

7.
MIKAN SHIMOKITA: https://mikanshimokita.jp/

8.
SHIMOKITA UE: https://www.odakyu.jp/guide/shopping/shimokitaekiue/index.html

9.
TEFU: https://www.te-fu.jp/

11.
BONUS TRACK: https://bonus-track.net/

12.
TOLO COFFEE & BAKERY: https://www.tolotokyo.com/tolo-coffee-bakery-pasta
SHIROIHIGE CREAM PUFF FACTORY: http://www.shiro-hige.net/

BE PREPARED FOR MOSQUITOS MAY- OCTOBER
You should carry insect repellent and ointment from May To October in Shimokitazawa. There are lots of green areas where the mozzies like to gather.

Please check with a pharmacist that these ointments are safe for you!

PLEASE NOTE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

SHOPPING LIST
Una Kowa Kuru Mosquito ointment:  https://amzn.to/4aSWY89
Mosquito Repellent Patches (kids): https://amzn.to/4aRgOAB
Mosquito Repellent Bracelet: https://amzn.to/3RjgTWZ
Skin Vape Repellent: https://amzn.to/3xhytni
Ultrasonic Mosquito Repellent key ring: https://amzn.to/3Xf79AI
Antihistamine Cream: https://amzn.to/4cdQZMd

I was expecting Zoshigaya to be bustling, if not completely rammed, on the Thursday of Golden Week. But it was quiet, relaxing and a surprisingly green oasis away from the busyness of Ikebukuro (which is apparently the second most busy station in the world after Shinjuku). Life in this area somehow feels a little slower compared to my bustling town of Shimokitazawa.

Zoshigaya is not a place I'd ever been to before. I actually had no idea that it was even there, although I do vaguely remember hearing about it from creative friends. I was expecting yet another concreted area of the city with generic buildings and chain stores, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Retro vibes abound, sympathetic renovations of gorgeously historical buildings, no clearing the way for modernism in this small neighbourhood. Thank goodness.

If you’re coming from Ikebukuro, Zoshigaya is around a 10-15 minute walk from Ikebukuro central on the Yamanote/ Saikyo/ Fukutoshin/ Morunouchi lines or a 3 minute walk from Zoshigaya Station (Fukutoshin Line).

I recommend getting off at Zoshigaya on the Fukutoshin line (around 20 mins from Shibuya) Exit 3. Take a left out of the station, cross over the train line on your right and walk a little ahead. To the right you’ll see a Zelkova-lined avenue (around 3 minutes from the station).

I wandered through this shady road and stopped for a delicious iced coffee at Kiazuma Coffee, a beautifully rustic, renovated Japanese shop house with the cutest second floor accessed up a ladder-esque set of stairs. The speciality beans are ground as your coffee is ordered. It doesn’t get fresher, or tastier.

The main reason for visiting Zoshigaya was to meet up with Ken Tanaka (@kenfrog), a Fukuoka-born artist, who was exhibiting in Kiazuma coffee shop.
Ken’s circular works on canvas are mesmerising and are all hand-drawn in pen without a plan. I love the idea of meditative drawing and Ken is such an interesting artist I really wanted to meet him in person. The canvas I was hoping to buy had already been sold, so I commissioned one for my birthday gift (which I can’t wait to receive).