Kishin-en Garden at Futako-tamagawa, Tokyo

Check Out Some of the Best Hidden and Off-The-Beaten-Path Neighbourhoods

Ultimate Two Day Suburbs of Tokyo Itinerary

This two day itinerary takes you through the suburban neighborhoods in the West and Southwest parts of Tokyo. These neighborhoods are often popular hangouts amongst the youths or for a family day out for the locals.

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Day 1

Day 2

Tokyo's Western Suburbs

Shimo-Kitazawa, Nakano, & Kichijoji

Nature

Culture

Gourmet

Volume

The suburbs to the West of Tokyo tend to have a more laidback rustic charm to them. Shimo-Kitazawa (下北沢) is one of Tokyo's most popular neighborhoods, even being named by Timeout as the "World's Trendiest Neighborhood" in 2022. A low-rise neighborhood filled with hipster shops, and a thrifting paradise.

Nakano feels like a relic from a bygone-era. Nakano Broadway (中野ブロードウェイ, Nakano Burōdō~ei) is the centerpiece of the area, once designed as a luxury shopping complex, today it's a retro anime and manga fan's paradise, with many second-hand goods, old figurines, and even the original storyboards and manuscripts from anime up for sale.

Kichijoji (吉祥寺, Kichijōji) is another popular suburb, particularly for Inokashira Park (井の頭公園, Inokashira Kōen), one of the larger public parks in the Tokyo area. The suburb sprawls far out from the station, with a dense shopping street right beside, and quieter local retail areas further out.

Toyo Department Store in Shimo-kitazawa, Tokyo

Itinerary Details

Starting Time

Start off from Shinjuku Station

Recommended Time:

11:00

新宿駅

Shinjuku Station

小田原線

Odawara Line

JR山手線

JR Yamanote Line

埼京線

JR Saikyo Line

丸の内線

Marunouchi Line

湘南新宿ライン

JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line

都営地下鉄新宿線

Toei Shinjuku Line

Take the train to Yoyogi-Uehara

Est.

11:00

6 mins

Before heading to Shimo-Kitazawa, we will make a small detour for lunch at Yoyogi-Uehara.

Odawara Line

Towards Odawara Station

Odakyu

Shinjuku Station

Yoyogi-uehara Station

5 mins

Take East Exit

1 min

70m

Yoyogi-uehara Station

Tsuta

Est.

11:15

1 hour

Closed on Thu

Tsuta (蔦)

Try the world’s first Michelin-Starred Ramen

Don’t expect a fancy fine-dining meal – Tsuta focuses on elevating the taste of the simplicity of ramen. Using a simple shoyu (醤油ラーメン, Shōyu Rāmen, Soy Sauce Ramen) or shio (塩ラーメン, Shio Rāmen, Salt Ramen) broth, all ingredients are natural, and the broth is designed to thicken and bring out the dense natural umami of each ingredient. Even the flour for the noodles are specially crafted and curated in-house.

Donuts from Haritts at Yoyogi-Uehara, Tokyo

Est.

12:15

15 mins

Closed on Sun

Haritts Donuts & Coffee (ハリッツ)

Get some doughnuts to go

Haritts serves up freshly baked doughnuts that are fluffy and chewy, with Japanese-style flavors. Originally started as a food truck in 2004, they have been at their current cafe location at Yoyogi-Uehara since 2006. In line with the Japanese focus on seasonality, the available flavors differ from day to day. Some of the popular flavors available include: salted anko (餡子, Red Bean Paste), cinnamon and currents, cream cheese, matcha (抹茶, Maccha, Powdered Green Tea), kinako (きな粉, Roasted Soybean Flour), kabocha (南瓜, Pumpkin), and shiro-an (白餡, White Bean Paste).

Take a walk over to Higashi-Kitazawa

Est.

12:30

21 mins

While you can take the train for one stop, we recommend taking a walk through the neighborhood to get a feel of what a Japanese residential suburb feels like.

21 mins

1.6km

Sidewalk Coffee Roasters

Iced Mocha from Sidewalk Coffee Roaster at Shimo-kitazawa, Tokyo

Est.

13:00

30 mins

Sidewalk Coffee Roasters (Sidewalk Coffee Roaster)

Grab a cuppa at Sidewalk Coffee Roasters

With the shifting of the Odakyu Line tracks underground, the former track area has now been repurposed into an urban park. In that area is Sidewalk Coffee Roasters, a beautiful al-fresco cafe serving up drip coffee and bagels. On weekends, it’s a great place to sit on the wooden terrace and just people-watch.

Est.

13:30

2 hours

Shimo-Kitazawa (下北沢)

Explore Tokyo's coolest neighbourhood, Shimo-Kitazawa

Shimo-Kitazawa is known amongst Tokyo’s youths for being a trendy indie neighbourhood, and is rated as one of Time Out’s Top 10 Coolest Neighbourhoods in the World. A hotspot of cafes, thrift shops, and food options, Shimo-Kitazawa is a great place to get some secondhand clothes or to just take in the youthful vibes.

Head to Nakano

Est.

15:30

17 mins

Odawara Line

Towards Shinjuku Station

Odakyu

Shimo-kitazawa Station

Shinjuku Station

9 mins

JR Chūo Line (Rapid)

Towards Takao Station

JR East

Shinjuku Station

Nakano Station

3 mins

Take North Exit

5 mins

400m

Nakano Station

Nakano Broadway

Est.

16:00

1 hour

Nakano Broadway (中野ブロードウェイ)

Discover a retro anime paradise

While Akihabara is the heart of Japan's modern anime (アニメ) and manga (漫画) culture, Nakano Broadway is the retro equivalent. An interesting visit, even for those not interested in anime and manga, this aging mall feels like a slice of the 1980s with its aging mall interior.

Head over to Kichijoji

Est.

17:00

13 mins

JR Chūo Line (Rapid)

Towards Takao Station

JR East

Nakano Station

Kichijoji Station

10 mins

Take Park Exit

3 mins

270m

Kichijoji Station

Inokashira Park

Est.

17:20

1 hour

Inokashira Park (井の頭公園)

Stroll around Inokashira Park

One of Tokyo’s popular date spots, Inokashira Park is an extensive sprawling park with a large pond at its center. There’s even a small zoo and aquarium located within the park grounds. Stroll leisurely around the park grounds, or roll out a picnic mat and have some light snacks.

Est.

18:20

1.5 hours

Kichijoji (吉祥寺)

Explore Kichijoji

Often topping the list of favorite places to live in Tokyo, Kichijoji is popular for being a small microcosm of a city, with its own major park, Inokashira Park, a wide variety of shops and department stalls, a sprawling alley of bars, and of course, a great selection of food.

Soup Curry from Rojiura Curry Samurai in Kichijoji, Tokyo

Est.

19:50

1 hour

Rojiura Curry Samurai Kichijoji (路地裏カリィサムライ吉祥寺)

Slurp down some Soup Curry with fresh vegetables on the side

You might be familiar with Japanese curry (カレー, Karē) – a thick roux served on top of rice, usually made with beef broth and topped with crispy tonkatsu (とんかつ, Pork Cutlet) – but have you heard of soup curry (スープカレー, Sūpu Karē)? Soup curry is a dish that originates from Hokkaido, which has a light viscosity akin to soup, but with the flavor profile of curry and topped with a wide variety of fresh vegetables.

Grab some drinks or take a rest for the day

Est.

20:50

If you’re interested in getting some drinks, then check out Harmonica Alley near the station, which is filled with standing bars on either side. Or if you’re tired and want to turn in for the day, then now’s also a good time to take a rest for the day.

Day 1

Futako-Tamagawa, Jiyugaoka & Gakugei-Daigaku

Tokyo's Southwest Suburbs

Due to changing circumstances, readers are advised to do their own additional research. All information on this site is purely for reference only.

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