SHIMOKITAZAWA TOKYO

THE SHORT ANSWER

Shimokitazawa, or Shimokita for short, is Tokyo's indie neighborhood: vintage shops, tiny theaters, craft beer and stupid good abura soba, in Setagaya City on the west side of the city. It sits on two train lines, the Odakyu Line (about 7 minutes from Shinjuku) and the Keio Inokashira Line from Shibuya. The station area was rebuilt after the Odakyu tracks went underground in 2013, and the neighborhood somehow kept its soul.

WHAT IT'S LIKE

What is Shimokitazawa like?

My one-line version is "what Williamsburg wishes it was." It's the neighborhood people go to for vintage clothes, small theaters and live music, with craft beer and cheap noodles in between. It's also good for antiques, and it has a thriving literary and music scene.

The station area changed a lot recently. The Odakyu tracks used to run at street level; they moved underground in 2013, and the land they left behind is now a strip of new low-rise buildings and walkways. Reload sits on the old Odakyu line, and Mikan Shimokita is a complex just outside the station. My guide's verdict on all of it: a massive redevelopment that somehow kept the neighborhood's soul.

VINTAGE AND THRIFT

Vintage and thrift shopping in Shimokitazawa

Tokyo's secondhand shops tend to have very specific taste. One focuses on older American clothing, another on vintage designer pieces, another on one decade, and in neighborhoods like Shimokitazawa you can walk from one shop into the next and find a completely different selection. That curation is a big part of why thrifting in Japan feels different.

My honest take: Shimokita specializes in American thrift, and a lot of it is the kind of stuff you'd find at Goodwill back home, like obscure college hoodies, for way more money. For thrifting, I like Koenji better. Shimokita is the famous one, but Koenji, on the JR Chuo Line, has better thrifting in my opinion, and that's where my thrifting day plan ↗ goes.

EAT AND DRINK

Where to eat and drink in Shimokitazawa

The standing bars. Tiny standing bars are scattered through the back streets. Pick one that looks full, because that's how you know it's good.

STAYING HERE

Is Shimokitazawa a good place to stay?

It works as a base close to both big hubs: about 7 minutes to Shinjuku on the Odakyu Line, and 3 to 4 minutes to Shibuya on a Keio Inokashira Line express.

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GETTING THERE

How to get to Shimokitazawa

• Station: Shimokitazawa Station, served by the Odakyu Line and the Keio Inokashira Line.
• From Shinjuku: about 7 minutes on the Odakyu Line.
• From Shibuya: Keio Inokashira Line, which runs from Shibuya through Shimokitazawa to Kichijoji. It's 3 to 4 minutes on an express and about 7 on a local, ¥140 with an IC card.
• Ward: Setagaya City.

Shimokitazawa Station on Google Maps ↗

QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK