Shimokitazawa, Kōenji, Nakano下北沢・高円寺・中野

Feels:

Vintage clothes, live houses, tiny bars

Suits:

Vintage clothes, live music, small bars

Best time:

Afternoon into evening

Watch out for:

Mornings: nothing is open.

In short:

10–15 min west of Shibuya or Shinjuku; afternoons and evenings, not mornings.

Think of central Tokyo as the JR Yamanote loop, about 35 km and an hour end to end. Shinjuku, Shibuya and Ikebukuro sit on its west side; Tokyo Station, Ginza and Ueno on the east; Asakusa is just outside it to the north-east and Odaiba across the bay. A first visit lives on the loop plus Asakusa: pick a bed near a station on your airport's line and keep each day on one side of the loop.

Lines from the Tokyo drinking guide that name this district.

• Shimokitazawa and Kōenji · Live houses, record bars · until Shows end about 22:00; bars run laterTickets at the door; a drink charge of about ¥600–800 on top is standard.
• Clubs and live houses · DJs, indie bands, jazz · until Until the first train · ¥2,000–5,000 (≈ US$14–35) entry with drink ticketsShibuya, Roppongi, Shimokitazawa, Kōenji

Markets and shopping streets from the Tokyo buying guide that name this district.

• Anime, manga, figures · Akihabara, Nakano Broadway, Ikebukuro Otome Road · About 11:00–20:00About 11:00 AM–8:00 PMUsed shops (Mandarake, Surugaya) are cheaper than new; prices are fixed.
• Fashion, street and vintage · Harajuku (Takeshita, Cat Street), Shibuya, Shimokitazawa, Kōenji · About 11:00–20:00About 11:00 AM–8:00 PMJapanese sizes run small; try before you buy.