Planning a trip to Japan? Check out this new guide made by a Tokyo local (a.k.a me!)
I love the feeling of going to a neighbourhood on holiday and getting a peek into residents’ daily lives. And when that country is Japan, you know it’s going to be good! So, if you love that feeling too, then I definitely recommend going to Kichijoji, a neighbourhood in the west of Tokyo.
Kichijoji at a glance
- Where: Musashino City, western Tokyo.
- Getting there: 14 minutes from Shinjuku on the JR Chuo Line Rapid, or the Keio Inokashira Line from Shibuya.
- North Exit: Sun Road arcade, Harmonica Yokocho and the department stores.
- Park Exit (south): Inokashira Park, about 5 minutes on foot; Inokashira Park Zoo, about 10 minutes; the Ghibli Museum, about 15 minutes.
- Ghibli Museum: advance tickets only, from Lawson Ticket at 10am Japan time on the 10th of the month before.
Things to Do in Kichijoji
- Kichijoji Station: North Exit or Park Exit?
- Nanaibashi Dori
- Inokashira Park
- Harmonica Yokocho
- Sun Road and Kichijoji’s shopping streets
- Thrift shopping, Renga-kan Mall and Kichijoji PARCO
- Getting to Kichijoji from Shinjuku, with stops at Nakano and Koenji
- Kichijoji questions and answers
- About Cat of @Japanintheuk
Kichijoji Station: North Exit or Park Exit?
Kichijoji Station is served by the JR Chuo and Sobu lines and the Keio Inokashira Line, and the exit you take decides your day.
- North Exit: straight onto the 300-metre covered arcade of Sun Road, with Harmonica Yokocho’s alleys and the Daiya Gai arcade just beside it.
- Park Exit (south): the way to Inokashira Park, about 5 minutes on foot, and on to the zoo and the Ghibli Museum. Odakyu buses to the zoo also leave from here.
If you arrive on the Keio Inokashira Line, you can also get off at Inokashira-koen Station, about a minute from the park.
A street of shops and restaurants near Kichijoji Station. Photo by Nobuat Ahmed on Unsplash
Nanaibashi Dori
Image Credit: Japan Nakama
I like to start by heading to Nanaibashi Dori. This street is filled with coffee shops, thrift stores and occasionally, people walking their pet meerkats (you read that correctly, I have the picture to prove it!)
Image Credit: Japan Nakama
If you didn’t know already, Japan loves a good sticker and the B-side Label brand is best known for its stickers. You’ll see this brand around stores in Tokyo but they have a store on this street and here’s a secret…there’s a Kichijoji exclusive in this store! It’s a great souvenir.
Image Credit: Japan Nakama
Sarutahiko Coffee’s Kichijoji Inokashira Park branch is a great spot to grab a drink before going for a stroll round the beautiful Inokashira Park. It trades as Sarutahiko Coffee from Wednesday to Sunday, 8am to 9pm, while on Mondays and Tuesdays the same space runs as SACHIOPIA COFFEE. If you’ve never tried an iced matcha latte before, now is the time! Down the road you’ll find Omotenashi Toriyoshi, potentially one of the prettiest izakayas you’ll find. An izakaya is a Japanese-style pub, a little like a tapas bar, with a variety of small, delicious dishes to go with your drinks. It’s a great atmosphere and somewhere to relax after a busy day.
Inokashira Park
Image Credit: Japan Nakama
This park is one of my favourites in all of Tokyo. I recommend going for a stroll (hopefully with an iced matcha latte in hand) around the pond, where you can watch all the swan boats go by. If you fancy joining them, a swan boat costs ¥1,000 for 30 minutes and takes up to two adults and one child, and a rowing boat for up to three adults costs ¥800 for 30 minutes. You can also find the small Inokashira Benzaiten temple nestled away on a small island on the pond. What’s more Tokyo than temples, skyscrapers and swan boats!
Inokashira Park Zoo: Hours, Prices and Getting There
On the west side of the park, Inokashira Park Zoo is split into two parts about 5 minutes’ walk apart: the main zoo and the aquatic park by the pond. One ticket covers both.
| Opening hours | 9:30 to 17:00. Last entry and ticket sales at 16:00. |
|---|---|
| Closed | Mondays, or the following day when Monday is a public holiday |
| Adults | 400 yen |
| Aged 65 and over | 200 yen |
| Junior high school students | 150 yen (free if they live or study in Tokyo) |
| Primary school age and under | Free |
| Getting there | About 10 minutes on foot from Kichijoji Station’s Park Exit, or an Odakyu bus from the Park Exit to Bunkaen-mae, the second stop |
Image Credit: Japan Nakama
The Ghibli Museum can also be found on the west side of the park, but you need to buy tickets before your trip if you want to visit, as there are no ticket sales at the museum itself. Tickets go on sale through Lawson Ticket at 10am Japan time on the 10th of each month for the whole of the following month, and they sell out quickly, so you have to be fast. Adult tickets cost ¥1,000, and the museum is closed on Tuesdays. If you’re a Ghibli fan, the museum is a must. It’s filled with original drawings from all your favourite Ghibli films and only takes a couple of hours, so you have the rest of the day to explore.
Ghibli Museum Tickets and Directions
| How to buy | Advance reservation only, online through Lawson Ticket. Nothing is sold at the museum. |
|---|---|
| When tickets go on sale | 10am Japan time on the 10th of each month, for the whole of the following month. For example, February tickets go on sale on 10 January. |
| What a ticket gives you | Entry on one date at one set entry time, with no set exit time |
| Prices | Ages 19 and over 1,000 yen; 13 to 18, 700 yen; 7 to 12, 400 yen; 4 to 6, 100 yen; 3 and under free |
| Opening hours | 10:00 to 18:00 |
| Closed | Most Tuesdays, plus maintenance breaks. Check the calendar on the museum’s ticket page. |
| From Kichijoji | About 15 minutes on foot through Inokashira Park |
| From Mitaka | About 15 minutes on foot from the South Exit of JR Mitaka Station, or the community bus, which runs every 15 minutes during opening hours |
Planning a trip around more of the studio’s world? See our guide to Studio Ghibli locations you can visit in Japan.
Image Credit: Japan Nakama
Thrift shopping, Renga-kan Mall and Kichijoji PARCO
Image Credit: Japan Nakama
Kichijoji is one of the best spots for thrift shopping. Japan has a very strong thrift shopping culture with collections ranging from Vintage Americana to Japan Contemporary, it’s got it all. They are usually in really good condition and not too expensive, depending on the store. So if you want to grab some pieces, you’ll definitely be in luck in Kichijoji. I personally really like 2nd STREET. The chain has stores all over Japan, and it has a good range of brands and price points.
I also really like the Renga-kan Mall. It’s an older shopping arcade, and its third floor houses A Happy Pancake: if you’re into soufflé-style pancakes, this should fulfil your pancake needs! There are also other notable shopping spots, such as Kichijoji PARCO, which has a great gashacoco capsule toy store on its fourth floor, and Kichijoji Loft, which has a Muji on its fifth floor (if you haven’t been to Loft before, you definitely need to go. Ginza is my favourite branch, but Kichijoji is still good).
Harmonica Yokocho: Kichijoji’s Alleys by the North Exit
Just north of the station, Harmonica Yokocho is a tight grid of alleys lined with tiny bars and eateries. As the sun sets, the standing bars open and the lanes fill up.
The name comes from Katsuichiro Kamei, a literary critic who lived in Musashino and was a close friend of the novelist Osamu Dazai. He is said to have named it because the row of small shops looked like the mouthpiece of a harmonica.
Come in the early evening for a drink, then walk on to Sun Road. Harmonica Yokocho also has a section in our guide to Japan’s best yokocho alleyways.
Sun Road and Kichijoji’s Shopping Streets
Right in front of the North Exit, Sun Road is a 300-metre covered shopping arcade. It crosses the Daiya Gai arcade, and both are packed with small shops selling everyday things, clothes, bakeries and casual places to eat.
Two more streets are worth walking: Nakamichi Dori, known for its independent, one-off shops, and the tree-lined Heiwa Dori. They all connect, so you can loop from Sun Road to Nakamichi Dori and back to the station without retracing your steps.
Getting to Kichijoji from Shinjuku, with stops at Nakano and Koenji
Image Credit: Japan Nakama
Kichijoji is in the west of Tokyo, and it’s under 20 minutes from Shinjuku on a direct JR Chuo Line train. There are also great stops on the way, like Nakano, where you’ll find Nakano Broadway, a shopping mall filled with vintage toys, anime and kissatens. Or try Koenji, the former punk capital of Tokyo, which is filled with music, vintage clothing stores and small boutiques.
Kichijoji Questions and Answers
How do you get to Kichijoji from Shinjuku?
Take the JR Chuo Line Rapid from Shinjuku. It takes about 14 minutes. From Shibuya, the Keio Inokashira Line runs direct to Kichijoji. Use the North Exit for the shopping streets and Harmonica Yokocho, and the Park Exit for Inokashira Park.
Which Kichijoji exit is closest to Inokashira Park?
The Park Exit, on the south side of the station. Inokashira Park is about 5 minutes on foot from there, and Inokashira Park Zoo about 10 minutes. On the Keio Inokashira Line, Inokashira-koen Station is about a minute’s walk from the park.
How much is Inokashira Park Zoo?
Adult entry costs 400 yen, or 200 yen for visitors aged 65 and over. Children of primary school age and under go free. The zoo opens 9:30 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:00, and closes on Mondays. One ticket covers both the main zoo and the aquatic park.
Can you buy Ghibli Museum tickets on the day?
No. The Ghibli Museum sells tickets by advance reservation only, through Lawson Ticket, and nothing is sold at the door. Tickets for each month go on sale at 10am Japan time on the 10th of the month before. Each ticket is for a set date and entry time.
Can you walk from Kichijoji to the Ghibli Museum?
Yes. It is about a 15-minute walk from Kichijoji Station through Inokashira Park, which makes a good morning route before your entry time. From Mitaka Station, the walk from the South Exit is also about 15 minutes, or you can take the community bus.
What is Harmonica Yokocho?
A small network of alleys just north of Kichijoji Station, packed with tiny bars and places to eat that come alive in the evening. It is said to have been named by the literary critic Katsuichiro Kamei, who thought the row of small shops looked like a harmonica’s mouthpiece.
About Cat of @Japanintheuk
Hello! I’m Cat, and I run the Instagram account @Japanintheuk. I’m an absolute Japan obsessive! I came to Japan on holiday about six years ago and immediately fell in love. When I went back to the UK, I started by finding all the best Japanese spots in the UK, from cultural events to great food, and after a few years decided that I needed to live in Japan.
So I am now fortunate enough to be living in Tokyo! I’ve discovered so much and I also receive a lot of questions from travellers getting ready for their Japan adventure. Now, after lots of visits from friends and family, I’ve put together a guide to help plan a trip to Japan, so if you’re coming to Japan this will definitely help you get ready.
