Shimokitazawa, then Kichijoji

Who this day is for

This day is for a third to sixth trip. Stops are less famous and still easy to reach. Some Japanese or cash may be needed.

Skip Tuesday and Thursday. Iseya Sohonten and the Ghibli Museum are closed on Tuesday. Kyu Yamu Tei Shimokita serves lunch only on Tuesday. Minmin Kichijoji, the dinner alternate, is closed on Thursday on Tabelog, and Gurunavi also lists Monday. Breakfast is in Shimokitazawa on a weekend or holiday. On a weekday, use the coffee stand inside reload. Then BONUS TRACK and reload, then lunch still on that side of the station. The IN Keio Inokashira Line runs to Inokashira Park. The museum is optional and stays off the line. Dinner is in Kichijoji. Nakano Broadway and Koenji are the evening option, also off the line.

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Breakfast

Breakfast: ANDON Shimokita, porridge and rice balls inside BONUS TRACK SOHO 8, at 2-36-12 Daita. Use it on Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays, when it opens at 8:00 and closes at 20:00. On weekdays it opens at 11:30 and closes at 20:00, so it is not breakfast then. Tabelog, a staff-published page, lists no regular closed day and says temporary closures are on social media. The shop homepage instead lists 8:00–20:00 every day, last order 19:30, with irregular holidays. This day follows the split hours. Reservations are available. It takes VISA, Mastercard, JCB, and AMEX, plus transportation IC cards and QR payments. A meal is ¥1,000–1,999. It is a 4-minute walk from Odakyu Shimokitazawa, from Keio Inokashira Shimokitazawa, and from Odakyu Setagaya-Daita. The page does not list an English menu.

Weekday fallback: OGAWA COFFEE LABORATORY Shimokitazawa, inside reload, room 1-1, at 3-19-20 Kitazawa. The shop page lists 9:00–20:00, last order 19:30. Tabelog, a staff-published page, says it is open year-round. The shop page does not. Reservations are not taken. It takes VISA, Mastercard, JCB, and Diners, plus transportation IC cards and QR payments. A meal is under ¥999. It is a 4-minute walk from Shimokitazawa Station on the Odakyu Line and the Keio Inokashira Line. The page does not list an English menu.

BONUS TRACK

BONUS TRACK is the shop complex at 2-36-12 Daita. Each shop sets its own hours. The page is in Japanese. ANDON's page gives a 4-minute walk from Shimokitazawa Station, and that shop sits inside the complex. This is not a paid stop.

reload Shimokitazawa

reload Shimokitazawa is the shop street at 3-19-20 Kitazawa, on the old Odakyu track bed. Each shop sets its own hours. It is a 4-minute walk from Odakyu and Keio Shimokitazawa, and a 4-minute walk from Odakyu Higashi-Kitazawa. GO TOKYO's English page names Reload. This is not a paid stop.

Inokashira Park

Inokashira Park is open at all hours. The information office and the facilities inside are closed over New Year. The park itself has no admission charge. Some facilities inside charge admission; check their linked pages for current prices. It is a 5-minute walk from JR Kichijoji, and a 1-minute walk from Inokashira-koen on the IN Keio Inokashira Line. GO TOKYO's English page also gives that 1-minute walk and says the Ghibli Museum is in the park and needs a reservation. This is not a paid stop.

Ghibli Museum

Ghibli Museum Mitaka is optional, on the west side of the park at 1-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka. It stays off the dashed line. No admission prices in this post.

It is open 10:00–18:00. Tickets are not sold at the museum. Buy a timed ticket ahead of the visit through Lawson Ticket. Sales for the next month open at 10:00 Japan time on the 10th. Entry slots run from 10:00 to 16:00, and the last slot is 16:00. Enter within one hour of the slot. You do not have to leave when the next slot starts. The museum is closed every Tuesday. Other closed days change by year. The regular ticket page does not name card brands. The official site is in English.

The Japanese directions page gives a 15-minute walk from the south exit of JR Mitaka, a 15-minute walk from Kichijoji on JR and Keio, and a 15-minute walk from Inokashira-koen. A community bus from the Mitaka south exit takes about 5 minutes and does not run on closed days. The bus charge stays out of this post.

Getting between stops

The route list. Walks with no published duration say "a short walk". The Keio Inokashira ride shows the line badge and the stations, and does not invent a minute count.

1. BONUS TRACK to reload Shimokitazawa: a short walk.
2. reload Shimokitazawa to Kyu Yamu Tei Shimokita: a short walk.
3. Kyu Yamu Tei Shimokita to Inokashira Park: IN Keio Inokashira Line. Shimokitazawa (IN05) to Inokashira-koen (IN16).
4. Inokashira Park to Iseya Sohonten: a short walk.

Evening option, off the dashed line. From Kichijoji, the JC JR Chuo Line reaches Nakano and Koenji. No published ride time.

Nakano Broadway is a 5-minute walk from the north exit of JR Nakano and of Nakano on the T Tozai Line, at 5-52-15 Nakano. Shops set their own hours, about 10:00–20:00. The building is closed on the third Wednesday of February. English is the GO TOKYO page. This is not one paid counter.

Koenji is the area by JR Koenji Station. GO TOKYO says Shin-Koenji on the M Marunouchi Line is a 15-minute walk from the main attractions. That page publishes a ride from Shinjuku to Koenji, and none from Kichijoji. This is an area, not a paid stop.

Lunch

Lunch: Kyu Yamu Tei Shimokita, curry at 5-29-9 Daizawa. No restaurant page was found, so these hours are Tabelog, and that page says they may change. Tuesday is lunch only, 11:00–15:00, not a full closure. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are 11:00–15:00 and 18:00–21:00. Saturday and Sunday are 11:00–15:30 and 17:30–21:00. Reservations are not taken. It takes VISA, Mastercard, JCB, and AMEX, plus transportation IC cards and PayPay. A meal is ¥1,000–1,999. It is a 7-minute walk from Shimokitazawa Station on the Odakyu Line and the Keio Inokashira Line. No source publishes a time from reload, so that stretch stays a short walk. The page does not list an English menu.

Alternate: Tenma Ya Shimokitazawa, curry and curry bread at 2-12-12 Kitazawa, Kuwata Building 1F. The company shop list names the store and does not publish hours. Tabelog lists the bakery at 11:00–21:00 and in-store dining at 11:30–21:00, last order 20:15, open year-round. Reservations are available. It does not take credit cards. It takes electronic money and QR payments. Brands are not listed. A meal is ¥1,000–1,999. It is a 1-minute walk from the south exit of Shimokitazawa Station. The page does not list an English menu.

Dinner

Dinner: Iseya Sohonten, yakitori at 1-2-1 Gotenyama. Founded in 1928. Open 12:00–22:00, last order 21:00. Closed on Tuesday. Course reservations are for groups of 8 or more. The restaurant page lists dish prices. Tabelog says it does not take credit cards, electronic money, or QR payments, so bring cash. The listed budget is ¥2,000–2,999. The restaurant page gives a 5-minute walk from JR and Keio Kichijoji. Tabelog gives 3 minutes from the south exit. This day uses the restaurant page. No source publishes a time from the park, so that stretch stays a short walk. The page does not list an English menu.

Alternate: Minmin Kichijoji, gyoza inside Harmonica Yokocho at 1-1-9 Kichijoji Honcho. No restaurant website was found. Tabelog lists it closed on Thursday, open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 11:30–15:00 and 16:00–20:30, Saturday and Sunday 11:00–20:00, and public holidays 11:00–20:30. Gurunavi also lists Monday as closed. This day follows Tabelog for the hours. Reservations are not taken. It does not take credit cards, electronic money, or QR payments, so bring cash. A meal is under ¥999. It is a 1-minute walk from the north exit of Kichijoji Station. The page does not list an English menu.

Sources

• Ghibli Museum, hours and directions. Museum visit planning, opening information and access.
• Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association, Inokashira Park. Park visitor information and access.