Given the task of designing the ideal middle-class town in Tokyo, one would probably come up with something close to Kichijoji (吉祥寺). It has a very suburban and relaxing atmosphere, yet is just a 12-minute ride from Shinjuku Station—something which has meant that it consistently ranks in the top three most desirable places to live in Tokyo (and house prices are accordingly expensive).
Things to Do
Museum designed by Studio Ghibli’s director, Hayao Miyazaki, and based on the storyboards used to create the films, the most famous of which (outside of Japan, at least) is Spirited Away (2001).
Official Website ✪ Google Maps ✪ 10:00-18:00. Closed on Tuesdays ✪ Adults ¥1,000, discounts for U18s and children. Tickets can only be purchased in advance.
Harmonica Yokocho actually started out as a black market in the post-war years but has since transformed into a small network of about 100 bars and restaurants (the name comes from the fact that the… Read More
Inokashira Park opened to the public in 1917 and is today one of Tokyo’s most spacious parks. It contains a large pond, a plum garden, and a wooded area filled with hornbeam and oak trees.… Read More
