Tokyo's most exclusive properties
Tokyo's most exclusive properties
Tokyo's most exclusive properties
Tomigaya/Shoto Area Guide
The first-class, low-rise residential area that is popular with company executives, politicians and celebrities seeking privacy in their lives.
Last Updated on December 14, 2022
Overview
Mentioning Shibuya conjures up images of Tokyo at its busy, bustling best with the iconic scramble crossing, vibrant visuals and trendsetting fashionable youths. In recent years, its popularity has risen even further as large-scale redevelopments continue to transform the landscape into an even bigger international cultural and business hub.
Mere minutes away, and in stark contrast, the connecting affluent neighborhoods of Shoto and Kamiyamacho (known as the Beverly Hills of Tokyo), where buildings have strictly prescribed heights, coverage ratios, purpose of use and even garden directions, and the more bohemian Tomigaya, offer a more peaceful and livable atmosphere. The first-class, low-rise residential landscape is a pleasent backdrop to what is a very inclusive neighborhood (being one of only a handful of wards that issue legally nonbinding certificates recognizing sexual minority couples) that is popular with company presidents, executives, politicians and celebrities seeking a bit more privacy in their lives.
Essentials
Shibuya Station itself is a well-connected transport hub offering access to the Yamanote Line loop, the Shonan Shinjuku Line (which connects Kanagawa, Gunma and Tochigi), the Saikyo Line, the Keio Inokashira Line and the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line. The Fukutoshin and Hanzomon lines provide even more connections, merging with the Tokyu Toyoko and Den-en-toshi lines and continuing through Meguro and Setagaya Wards before ending up in Kawasaki and Yokohama. Shibuya Station is also home to a large bus terminal for even more convenience.
Shopping
All three suburbs are well-served with supermarkets, English-speaking clinics and other useful everyday facilities, as well as providing ample, stress-free shopping experiences amongst a plethora of cosy, independent stores, particularly In Tomigaya. Here, the mix of traditional storefronts of longstanding tailors, tofu shops and butchers rubbing shoulders with more modern additions like that of trendy toy store Project ⅙, give the neighborhood an engaging visual identity to revel in.
The cool credentials of the area are further exemplified by the addition of Monocle Shop. The international jet-setting lifestyle magazine chose Tomigaya as the location for its Tokyo headquarters, which also has a ground floor store selling a range of products from brands such as Comme des Garçons, Porter, Barena and Mackintosh. There are some great bookstores to browse around in too. Rhythm and Books has an impressive collection of used CDs, records and, of course, books, which includes an unusual section dedicated entirely to books about fungi, whilst the ultra-hip Shibuya Publishing & Booksellers has a vast range of thematically selected material to discover (including some English titles) and opens late into the night.
Food and Drink
Whichever area you’re in, there are plenty of places to get hold of some great grub. Noteworthy options include OnJapan Cafe&, a spacious, easy-going diner and cafe specializing in fermented food and drink, which can be found along Kamiyamacho’s main shopping street. In Tomigaya, Camelback Sandwich & Espresso serves hearty sandwiches, delicious soup and healthy salads, whilst Fuglen is a trendy Norwegian hybrid café and cocktail bar with a beautiful vintage interior and wooden benches outside to sit on and bask in the neighborhood’s laid-back ambience.
Tomigaya is also a great place in which to satisfy your sweet tooth. Go for an ice cream from Gelateria Theobroma on a hot summer afternoon, some bean-based chocolate treats from Cacao Storeenough or try a pastel de nata (a popular Portuguese snack of egg custard in a puff pastry shell) at Nata de Cristiano.
Things to do
Greenery
As the neighborhoods border the southwest corner of Yoyogi Park, some well-known sights are mere minutes away by foot such as Meiji Jingu Gyoen, the inner garden of Meiji Shrine, which features a Japanese-style tea house, an iris garden and a turtle and koi filled pond. However, there are local places with strong histories for rest and relaxation too. Situated on a hill just to the north of the Tomigaya is the historic Yoyogihachiman Shrine, founded in 1212 by a warrior of the Genji Clan, and a reconstruction of a 4,500-year-old straw dwelling.
Meanwhile, Nabeshima Shoto Park (donated by the Nabeshima family who opened a tea plantation in the area in 1876 for their “Shoto” tea and thus, providing the area its name) is a quiet park with an interesting old water mill and pond at its center. It’s also a great place for cherry blossom and autumn foliage viewing.
Art Museums
Creators and art lovers of all ages will also enjoy some lesser-known venues that can be found around the area. The Toguri Museum of Art focuses on porcelain artworks from the collection of the museum’s founder Tohru Toguri, whereas The Shoto Museum of Art, designed by renowned architect Seiichi Shirai and featuring a fountain and bridge in the atrium, hosts multi-disciplined exhibitions of paintings, sculptures, and other works of art from across the centuries. Additionally, it also serves as an event space for local school students and Shibuya residents to present their works.
Cinephiles will also enjoy Uplink in Tomigaya, a small cinema catering for the latest independent film releases. Finally, Bunkamura, Japan’s first large-scale cultural complex established in 1989, is within easy reach. The venue hosts a variety of international exhibitions and also has a concert hall for classical music, opera and ballet performances, plus boutiques, restaurants, cafes, an art-house cinema, two theater and music spaces and an art bookshop.
Transportation
Trains: Close to JR Shibuya Station and Keio Line Shinsen Station
Buses: Plenty of options available for buses around Shibuya Station
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