# 5 Tokyo Neighborhoods Everyone Is Buzzing About > We rounded up 5 Tokyo neighborhoods worth exploring beyond Shibuya and Shinjuku. Find out where to hunt for new cafes, galleries and the city's real everyday life. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/5-rayoniv-tokio/ - Language: en - Published: 2023-07-27 - Categories: Leisure, Tours, Japan, Relaxation, Events --- Shibuya. Shinjuku. Harajuku. Most visitors to Tokyo have probably heard of these districts, the places where everything new and noteworthy seems to gather. While they're still well worth your time, Japan's capital has seen a fresh wave of popular neighborhoods pop up, packed with intriguing shops, cozy cafes and buzzy restaurants. Ready to venture beyond the usual haunts next time you're in Tokyo? Here are the neighborhoods that got the city talking in 2016, offering a whole new take on the metropolis. ## 1. Shoin Jinja-mae ![](/storage/image/prev/Japan-1-Shoin-Jinja-mae-1024x546.jpg) Shoin Jinja-mae, tucked into the Setagaya ward, is only just starting to turn heads. Yukako Izumi, an editor at Time Out Tokyo, sees plenty to love in this neighborhood. "A shopping street stretches out in front of the railway station at Shoin Jinja-mae, lined with popular bakeries, lovely bookshops and stylish restaurants," she says. Must-visit spots include Matsuzaki Senbei Shoin-Jinjamae, a shop from the famous Japanese maker of the eponymous rice crackers, and Marusho Ariku, a Japanese izakaya known for its oysters and locally grown vegetables. And new places keep opening all the time. "It's a gathering place for people who love their neighborhood exactly as it is, yet still want to keep it moving forward," says Izumi. ## 2. Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Nothing brands a Tokyo neighborhood as "trendy" quite like an influx of third-wave coffee shops. Kiyosumi-Shirakawa, on the eastern side of the city, has become the go-to destination for anyone chasing top-quality coffee in the capital. It drew Tokyo's first Blue Bottle, the San Francisco born cafe that pulls in enormous queues. But the area is full of Japanese spots too, from the cozy Arise Coffee Roasters to the laid-back Monz Cafe. Beyond the coffee beans, Kiyosumi-Shirakawa is seeing a boom in boutique bakeries and artisan shops, and local media have taken to calling it the Brooklyn and the Paris of Tokyo. The area also carries a sense of history, thanks to shops and museums devoted to the Edo period. Kiyosumi-Shirakawa is also home to the fascinating Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, currently closed for renovation. ## 3. Tomigaya ![](/storage/image/prev/Japan-3-Tomigaya-1024x640.jpg) Northwest of one of Tokyo's busiest districts, Tomigaya has become the neighborhood of the moment over the past 12 months. "The quiet neighborhood of Tomigaya, long overshadowed by neighboring central Shibuya, has recently blossomed into a hipster hub, home to spots like the Norwegian cafe/bar Fuglen, the chocolate shop Cacao Store, and the retail store and Tokyo bureau of Monocle magazine," says Annemarie Luck, editor-in-chief of Tokyo Weekender. Lately, hyped-up shops and restaurants have been opening in Tomigaya nonstop. Long lines form outside the sandwich shop Camelback, and the nearby diner Greed has been drawing big crowds too. "At the same time, the area holds onto its old-school charm: traditional Japanese shops and houses still sit tucked between the modern storefronts," says Luck. ## 4. Daikanyama Sitting on the opposite side of Shibuya from Tomigaya, Daikanyama has long been the fashionable alternative to Shibuya's crowded streets. But a recent wave of boutiques and restaurants with an international flavor has given the area a fresh new feel. Its flagship hub is Daikanyama T-Site, brimming with books, films and cafes. It bills itself as a "library in the woods" and has become a favorite place to unwind and relax, or to get some productive work done. Daikanyama is also home to the Log Road Complex, a new retail center with its own brewery and doughnut shop. Meanwhile, wander the side streets and you'll come across no shortage of small shops and cafes. In the evenings, Daikanyama Unit hosts some of the city's best electronic music events. ## 5. Kuramae ![](/storage/image/prev/Japan-5-Kuramae-1024x768.jpg) Kuramae, just a short hop from tourist-favorite Asakusa in eastern Tokyo, is enjoying a surge in popularity thanks to lower rents that draw young creatives to the area. Among the main draws of this laid-back neighborhood is The East, a small mall-like complex housing a cafe, a burger joint and a barbershop, along with the hostel and bar Lounge Nui, a budget-friendly, Instagram-ready spot to stay and grab a drink. Worth a visit is the stationery shop Kakimori, where you can order custom notebooks, as well as the tea shop Nakamura Tea Life. Kuramae is packed with fabric shops, including East Side Tokyo, which also sells flowers. Even if you're not planning to buy any, the colorful arrangements are a delight to look at.