The indoor bath at Yuen Betti Daita in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, overlooks a courtyard with hinoki cypresses.<\/p>\n
Yuen Betti Daita<\/p>\n
Tokyo locals call it Shimokita. The easy U.S. comparison is Silver Lake meets Williamsburg, but those comps don\u2019t really capture the magic of Shimokitazawa, often referred to as Tokyo\u2019s coolest neighborhood.<\/p>\n
Even that description falls short. Yes, there are scores of vintage shops, vinyl bins, fussy matcha caf\u00e9s and basement jazz clubs full of bespectacled hipsters in Okayama denim. But Shimokita is not actually as precious as that sounds. It\u2019s one of those rare places in Tokyo that lets you loosen your grip. You arrive from chaotic Shibuya in 15 minutes, step off the train and start following whatever catches your eye: a stairwell, a rack of biker jackets, a Totoro-shaped cream puff. Your \u201cquick wander\u201d can easily drift into five hours.<\/p>\n
Your Field Guide To Tokyo\u2019s Coolest Neighborhood<\/p>\n
It\u2019s helpful to have a few guideposts before going into a visit. First, many shops don\u2019t hit their stride until midday; Shimokita before noon will mostly be you and a few locals out walking their Shiba Inus. Start late, go late is the best advice for most visitors. <\/p>\n
Ogawa Coffee Laboratory<\/a> is an excellent entry point. Although it\u2019s a Kyoto-born operation, the Shimokitazawa outpost is a local-favorite \u201cbean salon,\u201d with over 20 types of beans, 40 different coffee tools and a small-batch roaster that helps you find the shop by scent even if you can\u2019t actually read the sign. <\/p>\n Shimokitazawa is well known for the density of small independent fashion retailers, cafes, theaters, bars and live music venus<\/p>\n getty<\/p>\n For something slower and older-school, point yourself toward Caf\u00e9 Trois Chambres<\/a>, a kissaten from the pre-Starbucks era, where antique cups line the shelves and regulars linger over drip pours and cheesecake. Or go off-map completely to Hi Monsieur<\/a>, a residential caf\u00e9 filled with supremely odd little objects, baked goods and coffee from Yokohama\u2019s revered Tera Coffee. This isn\u2019t a coworking space. You just sit, look around and remember that \u201cdoing nothing\u201d was once an acceptable activity in a spot like this.<\/p>\n Then you shop.<\/p>\n A stylish couple shops for vintage in Shimokitazawa, a Tokyo neighborhood known for great shopping and nightlife.<\/p>\n gettyVintage, Vinyl, Bottega Veneta: All In A Day\u2019s Shopping In Shimokitazawa<\/p>\n New York Joe Exchange<\/a> is Shimokita\u2019s headline act and still warrants the banner. The store sits inside a former bathhouse, with old tile left in place and racks where bathers once shuffled through the steam. The inventory runs from streetwear and leather jackets to designer finds, and there\u2019s an impressive sale on the first Sunday of each month: all items at its Shimokitazawa, Kichijoji and Shibuya stores drop by 50 percent. <\/p>\n Because Shimokita vintage rewards digging, it\u2019s worth pulling back the onion at Kakko, a place with archival Japanese fashion in color-arranged racks. Among the raw concrete and calico draping are pieces by Comme des Gar\u00e7ons, Miu Miu and Bottega Veneta. It feels less like thrifting and more like a glimpse of a better life with superiors accessories. <\/p>\n Little Trip to Heaven<\/a> is more romantic, with silk scarves, nightgowns, beaded dresses and cowgirl boots. Call it eccentric aunt energy in the best sense. MWC Old & New Clothing is a rabbithole for American workwear: L.L. Bean, Carhartt, Eddie Bauer, field jackets and Air Mail bags. 2nd Street, which has outposts in the U.S., is good for sneakers, sweaters, work trousers and designer racks. <\/p>\n Village\/Vanguard<\/a> may be the most consuming shopping experience you\u2019ll have in Tokyo. Pop in for \u201ca minute\u201d and you\u2019ll likely spend an hour filling your cart with Moomin plushies, Godzilla wind-ups, Japanese punk t-shirts, manga, stickers, novelty socks and a thousand other things you didn\u2019t realize you needed. <\/p>\n For books, beer and a little people-watching, head to Bonus Track, a small courtyard village a few minutes from Shimokitazawa station. Time Out describes it as a cluster of about a dozen shops, including a sake shop, juice bar, record shop serving Taiwanese food and a bookshop with craft beer. The bookshop is B&B, short for Book & Beer, which is exactly what it sounds like, and that\u2019s kinda badass, don\u2019t you think? <\/p>\n Records, as you may be gathering, are their own Shimokita religion. Flash Disc Ranch is the classic: up a staircase, loud, stacked with rock, jazz, house and new wave. Jet Set is strong for soul, house, disco, techno and Japanese pop 7-inches. Pianola Records, in Daita, is smaller and stranger, with jazz, classical, experimental records and tapes. For a bit more range, City Country City combines a record store with a cafe and some pasta options.<\/p>\n Curry And Cream Puffs And Other Tokyo Delights<\/p>\n Lunch should probably be curry. Shimokita is one of Tokyo\u2019s curry sweet spots. You can get yours by way of a vending machine or head to one of the popular spots: Rojiura Curry Samurai does Hokkaido-style soup curry with up to 20 vegetables. Ponipirica offers the same northern comfort in a room with a lived-in feel. Curry Spice Gelateria Kalpasi is the oddball choice (or perhaps completely normal, if \u201cnormal\u201d for you means curry and spice-infused gelato). <\/p>\n Save a window for Shiro-Hige\u2019s iconic Cream Puff Factory, where the pastries look like Totoro. It\u2019s cute and touristy but worth going anyway. The cream puffs come in seasonal flavors, and the small cruelty of eating a beloved forest spirit is part of the transaction.<\/p>\n At almost any hour, Matcha Passport<\/a> in Shimokitazawa is buzzing with a stylish young crowd eager for the \u201cfarm-to-cup\u201d experience of its high-quality, specialized matcha drinks, including unique blends named after mythical creatures (Komainu, Tanuki). The creative menu of lattes and matcha-infused desserts transitions into a cocktail bar as the night wears on.<\/p>\n Evening is when Shimokita comes to life. Sarutahiko Coffee Yoru no Bu turns coffee culture into cocktail hour after 7 p.m., with drinks like a coffee margarita, matcha martini and cold-brew float. Shirube is an izakaya with strange little twists, including nikujaga with garlic bread and tofu cheese with honey. Coaster Craft Beer and Kitchen has 15 taps split with brews split across Europe, North America and Japan\/Asia. <\/p>\n For late nights, Shelter Shimokitazawa is a small live house in a basement. You don\u2019t need to know the band. Just buy a ticket, go downstairs, and let the room sweep you up into the magic.<\/p>\n A Shimokitazawa Retreat That Feels Like A Country Getaway<\/p>\n Yuen Betti Daita is close enough to walk from the neighborhood center yet removed enough to feel like the Tokyo of yore.<\/p>\n Yuen Betti Daita<\/p>\n Yuen Bettei Daita<\/a> sits at the edge of Shimokita, in Setagaya-Daita, close enough to walk from the neighborhood center and removed enough to feel like the Tokyo of yore. Unlike the neighborhood\u2019s youthful and bustling Mustard hotel, this ryokan is for grownup relaxation in a sophisticated urban setting. There\u2019s a day spa and tea house, with 35 rooms, all tatami calm and with baths fed by alkaline hot spring water sourced from Ashinoko Onsen in Hakone. The indoor baths face a private garden, and the whole place evokes an era when this part of Tokyo was home to tea plantations. <\/p>\n Dinner at Tsukikage, the hotel restaurant, keeps the spell intact. There\u2019s a tea room, a quiet bar and a menu that includes traditional snacks and an evening porridge service (a comforting, nutrient-dense rice soup, or ochazuke) that makes you want to put on a yakata and stay overnight. <\/p>\n But that\u2019s the pleasure of Shimokitazawa. Tokyo has bigger icons. Shimokita has the small gems that keep drawing you in.<\/p>\n Also From ForbesForbesThe Hidden Japanese Town Savvy Travelers Are Calling \u2018The Next Kyoto\u2019By David Hochman<\/a>ForbesThe Concierge At The \u2018Lost In Translation\u2019 Hotel Reveals Tokyo\u2019s Hidden GemsBy David Hochman<\/a>ForbesAt Jacaranda, A Michelin-Star Chef Makes A Punk-Rock Los Angeles ComebackBy David Hochman<\/a>