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Setagaya (世田谷) is in western Tokyo, and is the largest of the city's 23 wards.

Understand

Setagaya has a reputation as an upscale residential district, and features many areas of greenery. The funky shopping and nightlife area of Shimokitazawa (下北沢), popular with students and young adults, is also located in Setagaya. The Sangenjaya (三軒茶屋) shopping district is also in Setagaya.

Get in

Shimokitazawa is on the Odakyu and Keio Inokashira train lines, just a quick hop from Shinjuku and Shibuya respectively. Most of the action is around the South Exit.

Sangenjaya is on the Tokyu Den-en-Toshi train line from Shibuya.

Komazawa-Daigaku is on the Tokyu Den-en-Toshi train line and near Sangenjaya. Komazawa University is a few minutes from the station.

Get around

By train

The main train lines serving Setagaya are the Odakyu from Shinjuku to Odawara and the Keio Inokashira, Tokyu Toyoko, and Tokyu Denentoshi, all originating in Shibuya. Since all of these lines run generally westward from hubs on the Yamanote line, it can be somewhat difficult to travel north-south without going in to a hub and back out.

The Tokyu Setagaya line between Sangenjaya and Shimo-takaido is one of only two remaining streetcar lines in Tokyo.

See

• Carrot Tower (キャロットタワー). Located in Sangenjaya, this is the tallest building in Setagaya and contains a free observation deck on the 26th floor.
• Gotokuji temple (豪徳寺) is the origin of the maneki-neko or beckoning-cat statuettes that bring good fortune to Japanese merchants the world over. Gotokuji station is on the odakyu line. However, the temple is also a short walk from Miyanozaka on the Setagaya line.
• Kinuta Koen (砧公園） is a public park with a museum of modern art.
• Komazawa Olympic Koen is a large public park, built for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. It is about a 15-minute walk from Komazawa-Daigaku station, on the Tokyu Den-en-Toshi train line.
• Setagaya Art Museum houses works by artists from the Primitivist School, such as Henri Rousseau. 17-minute walk from Yoga Station on the Den-en Toshi Line.
• Tamagawa Daishi (玉川大師) is a Buddhist temple, and a branch of Kawasaki Daishi. It isn't very large and the location is in a nondescript residential area, but its curious attraction is hidden: an underground passageway that snakes its way under the building. There are statues and altars with lighting at various points, but much of the tunnel is in absolute darkness. It symbolizes a passage through the intestines of the Buddha (better not to dwell too much on the symbolism!) while the 88 Buddha statues in one of the chambers also symbolize the famous 88 Temple Pilgrimage in Shikoku. To get to Tamagawa Daishi, get off at Futako-Tamagawa on the Tokyu Den-en-Toshi Line (from Shibuya), and walk 10 minutes along the highway from Takashimaya department store.
• Todoroki Keikoku is a natural canyon nestled in urban surroundings. With a small river and lush vegetation, it offers a pleasant natural environment. Todoroki station is on the Tokyu Ooimachi line.
• Setagaya Koen is a public park with a pool, tennis court, baseball ground and so on. Ikeziri 1-5-27.

Do

• Tollywood, Daizawa 5-32-5 2F (Three minutes from Shimokitazawa south exit), 03-3414-0433, . This small theater (46 seats) specializes in independent short films, mostly Japanese. The films aren't dubbed or subtitled of course, but they're so offbeat and often bizarre that you're sure to have a good time anyway.
• Okuraland, Sakura 3-24-1,　03-3420-0271. 15 minutes from Kamimachi station of Tokyu-Setagaya line. Here you can go bowling or practice your golf swing. There are also batting cages.

Buy

• Shimokitazawa has many quirky shops.
  • Ex shop sells artistic designed stuff like photo stands, postcards, clocks, accessories and so on.
  • Yellow Pop shop carries an eclectic and well-stocked inventory of vinyl including punk, reggae, electronic, and hip-hop.

• The Setagaya Boro-Ichi (世田谷ボロ市) is a flea market that's held on the 15th and 16th of December and January each year. It's been drawing shoppers from all over Tokyo since it started in 1578. The main attraction is used clothing (such as kimonos) and antiques. Take the Setagaya line to Setagaya or Kamimachi and follow the crowds.

• Dept is a good spot for used men's and women's clothes.

• Flash is one of girl's clothes shops. There are pretty, lovely or FLASH clothes in the shop.

• Wonder Rokets has lots of pretty clothes. Sometimes the shop has a sale. You can get clothes cheaper.

• Small Change is a used clothes shop.

Eat

Shimokitazawa is your best option for restaurants and bars.

• BOTERO, Komazawa 1-17-17, 03-3410-5922. Regular holiday is Tuesday
• Cheese Cake Factory, 〒158-0097 Yo-ga 4-28-18, 03-5716-5401, 10AM-8PM. Just what it says: it's a cheese cake shop.
• <eat name="Dining cafe Tsunami" alt="" address="〒154-0012 Komazawa 1-3-1" directions="a few minutes from Komazawa station" phone="03'-3424-0273" url="" hours="11:30-1:00 (lunch only)" price="" lat="" long="">Hawaiian food restaurant near Komazawa Station.</eat>
• KURA,　KURA is at Yutenji, and other is at Gotanda, Shibuya, Nakameguro, and Yotsuka-ichi-shi. This is an Italian restaurant - pasta, risotto, pizza, etc. All menu items are very inexpensive.
• La Befana, 5-31-3 Daita (30 seconds walk from Shimokitazawa West Exit), 03-3411-9500, 12-2PM and 5:30-10:30PM daily. Good pizza from wood-fired stone oven, something you will be missing if you are staying for a long time in Japan. The lunch menu (available 11:30-13:30) is excellent.
• Mother, Daizawa 5-36-14 (3 min from Shimokitazawa South Exit, on the corner just before Gyoza-no-Osho), 03-3421-9519. Multi-ethnic food and an interesting selection of imported beers, in a cave-like, Gaudi-inspired setting. Make sure you have time to kill, as the kitchen works at a rather leisurely pace.
• Patisserie NAOKI, Komazawa 1-4-12 1F, 03-3422-3167.
• Setagaya, Nozawa 2-1-2 1F, 03-3418-6938, 11AM-2:30 PM and 6:00PM-3:00AM (closed Thursdays). A famous ramen restaurant.
• Sunday Brunch, Kitazawa 2-29-2 2F, 03-5453-3366, . Sunday Brunch is a cafe. Their French toast is very tasty.
• Trocadero, Kitazawa 3-30-3 (North exit), 03-3476-1991. Trocadero is an authentic French bistro. How authentic? The entire store was brought over from France.
• 31 Ice Cream Ice cream shop that has many flavors. Discounts on the 31st of each month.

• city country city is a kind of cafe. You can listen to nice music. There are many records in the cafe. Also menu.

• Cateriam is a cat cafe. You can play many cats in there.

• bubble bubble is a crape and tapioca drink shop.

Drink

• Kura Kura (蔵くら), 2-20-19 Kitazawa (One minute walk from Shimokitazawa station south exit), 03-5433-2323, Tu-Fr 5:00-11:30PM; Sa-Su 4:00-11:30PM; closed Monday, . Kura Kura has an excellent selection of beers from Japanese microbreweries served on tap, such as Swan Lake in Niigata and Sanktgallen in Kanagawa. They also have a wide selection of bottled beers, such as offerings from Baird Brewing Company in Shizuoka and Fuji Sakura Kogen in Yamanashi. Some food is also served—try the sausage and beer sampler set for ¥1000.

• Ushi-Tora, 2-9-3 Kitazawa, 03-3485-9090, 5PM-4AM daily, (in Japanese). Seemingly in direct competition to Kura Kura, Ushi-Tora also offers a wide selection of Japanese and US microbrews on tap. Opened 2006.

• ZIGZAG Also you can eat deliccious lunch. It's very cheap.