Deodapper
Tokyo: Akihabara, Harajuku, Shimokitazawa
千代田区, JP · 6 stops · 19 km (11.9 mi) · about 57 min driving · 13 spoken stories
For anime fans and retro Tokyo enthusiasts, this drive connects three iconic neighborhoods in under an hour. Start in Akihabara's electric shops and shrine, pass through Golden Gai's vintage alleys and Omoide Yokocho's smoky yakitori stands, then end in Harajuku's Takeshita Street fashion before dipping into Shimokitazawa's vintage clothing lanes. Best explored on foot at each stop.
Photo: Rs1421, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
From Akihabara, Tokyo to Shimokitazawa, Tokyo
The stops
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1
Akihabara Electric Town
Akihabara is a neighborhood in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo, Japan, generally considered to be the area surrounding Akihabara Station. This area is part of the Sotokanda (外神田) and Kanda-Sakumachō districts of Chiyoda.
“Welcome to Akihabara, the neighborhood around Akihabara Station in Chiyoda ward, and the beating heart of anime, manga and gaming culture.”
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2
Kanda Myojin Shrine
Kanda Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The shrine dates back 1,270 years, but the current structure was rebuilt several times due to fire and earthquakes. It is situated in one of the most expensive estate areas of Tokyo.
“Just up the hill from all those game shops sits Kanda Myojin, a Shinto shrine whose story goes back about thirteen hundred years, though the buildings have been rebuilt more than once after fires and earthquakes.”
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3
Omoide Yokocho
lunch西新宿一丁目, 西新宿, 新宿区
“Omoide Yokocho, Memory Lane, began around nineteen forty-six as a black market near Shinjuku's west exit, and it has never quite let go of that era.”
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4
Golden Gai
Shinjuku Golden Gai is a district of Kabukicho within Shinjuku, a special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is composed of a network of six narrow alleys, connected by even narrower passageways which are about wide enough for a single person to pass through.
“Golden Gai is a pocket of old Shinjuku inside Kabukicho, six narrow alleys linked by passageways just wide enough for one person at a time.”
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5
Takeshita Street
Harajuku is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo. Harajuku is the common name given to a geographic area spreading from Harajuku Station to Omotesando, corresponding on official maps of Shibuya ward as Jingūmae 1 chōme to 4 chōme.
“Takeshita Street is the spine of Harajuku, four hundred meters of pedestrian lane that has been shorthand for Japanese teen fashion since the nineties.”
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6
Shimokitazawa
Shimokitazawa is a neighborhood in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan. It is located in the southwestern corner of the Kitazawa district, hence the name "Shimo-kitazawa". Also known as "Shimokita", the neighbourhood is well known for the density of small independent fashion retailers, cafes, theaters, bars and live music venues.
“Shimokitazawa, or Shimokita, sits in the southwestern corner of the Kitazawa district in Setagaya.”
How it works
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