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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Chofu
調布市
Give Chofu one half-day for Jindaiji Temple and the botanical garden, then return to Tokyo; sleep here only if you want a cheap Keio-line base.
Chofu is a western Tokyo suburb on the Keio line, 15 minutes and ¥280 from Shinjuku. Its one real sight cluster is Jindaiji Temple and the Jindai Botanical Gardens, side by side about 2–3 km north of Chofu station. Everything else is ordinary suburban Tokyo: a shopping centre at the station, a 50,000-seat stadium, a cinema. Come for the temple and garden, not for the city.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 調布市
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Golden Week
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥6,000–10,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥10,000–16,000 excl. bed · High ¥16,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English) 050-3816-2787
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥400–700 |
| Jindaiji soba, one bowl | ¥900–1,600 |
| Izakaya dinner with a drink | ¥3,000–5,000 |
| Beer: draught in an izakaya / can at a konbini | ¥500–750 / ¥250–350 |
| Bus ride | ¥210 |
| Keio line Shinjuku → Chofu | ¥280 |
| Jindai Botanical Gardens entry, adult | ¥500 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NRT · Narita International
- Narita Express or Keisei to central Tokyo, then the Keio line from Shinjuku; 1 h 45 min–2 h 15 min door to door
- HND · Haneda
- Keikyu or monorail to central Tokyo, then the Keio line from Shinjuku; about 1 h 15 min–1 h 45 min
- --- · Chofu Airport (local field)
- Izu Islands flights only; no scheduled international or mainland domestic arrivals
Typical fares
- Keio line Shinjuku → Chofu
- about ¥280, about 15 min
- Bus Chofu station → Jindaiji
- ¥210, about 15–20 min
- Taxi Chofu station → Jindaiji Temple
- about ¥1,200–1,600
Get around
The Keio line runs from Shinjuku to Chofu in about 15 min on the special express (¥280). Jindaiji Temple and the botanical gardens are 2–3 km north of the station: bus 34 from stop 14 on the north side goes to the temple gate, buses 05, 06, 31 and 56 from stop 13 stop at Jindaiji Iriguchi, a short walk away. All five reach the gardens; fare ¥210. Walking takes about 30–40 min, a taxi about 10 min. Tobitakyu station on the Keio line is a 5-min walk from Ajinomoto Stadium on match days.The Keio line runs from Shinjuku to Chofu in about 15 min on the special express (¥280). Jindaiji Temple and the botanical gardens are 1.2–1.9 mi north of the station: bus 34 from stop 14 on the north side goes to the temple gate, buses 05, 06, 31 and 56 from stop 13 stop at Jindaiji Iriguchi, a short walk away. All five reach the gardens; fare ¥210. Walking takes about 30–40 min, a taxi about 10 min. Tobitakyu station on the Keio line is a 5-min walk from Ajinomoto Stadium on match days.
See and do
Known for
- Jindaiji Temple
- Jindai Botanical Gardens
- Jindaiji soba restaurants
- Ajinomoto Stadium
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kichijoji | Keio line to Kichijoji, then bus to Jindaiji | About 40 min |
| Hachioji | Keio line west from Chofu | About 40 min |
| Machida | Keio line to Chofu, then Odakyu from Shinjuku or a bus link | About 1 h |
| Tachikawa | Keio line to Bubaigawara, then JR Nambu line | About 45 min |
Sleep
- Chofu station north side
- Trie Keio Chofu, Parco and the Creston Hotel sit here; the Keio line reaches Shinjuku in 15 min, so this works as a cheap Tokyo base.
- Fuda and Tenjin Street
- A few minutes north of the station: izakaya and curry restaurants, quieter at night.
- Jindaiji area
- Almost no beds; stay here only if you find a guesthouse and want the temple at opening.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| This one, please | これをくださいkore o kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Jindai Botanical Gardens closes at 16:00 and charges ¥500 for adults; arrive by early afternoon.
- Buses to Jindaiji fill on weekend mornings; the platform is crowded with families.
- Chofu Airport handles flights to the Izu Islands, not international arrivals; do not book it by mistake.
- Last Keio trains back to Shinjuku run around midnight; after that, a taxi is the only option.
Chofu is a low-risk Tokyo suburb; the real issues are summer heat, crowded weekend buses and izakaya bills with no posted prices — ask the total before you sit.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Chofu yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Jindaiji Temple
- Jindai Botanical Gardens
- Jindaiji soba restaurants
- Ajinomoto Stadium
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Chofu city official site: www.city.chofu.tokyo.jp/
- Jindai Botanical Gardens (Tokyo parks): www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/jindai-botanical/
- Keio Electric Railway: www.keio.co.jp/
- Wikivoyage: Chofu, revision 5248548 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5248548
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Chofu調布市
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787
No embassies in Chofu; most are in central Tokyo (check your own country's address).
Chofu is a suburb of Tokyo, so the practical base is usually a Tokyo hotel and Chofu is the day out.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/chofu). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.