What Kichijoji is like
Kichijoji is in Musashino City, just outside the 23 wards, and has long been a favourite in surveys of where people in Tokyo would like to live. North of the station are covered shopping arcades, department stores and the independent shops of Nakamichi-dori, and to the south the streets slope down to Inokashira Park. It is calmer than Shimokitazawa or Koenji and works well for a whole day: shopping and the park in daylight, a gig or a drink in the evening.
The town has a few regular events. During Golden Week the Kichijoji Music Festival, running since 1986, sets up stages around town, including the plaza at the north exit and the park. In mid-September the Kichijoji Autumn Festival follows the annual festival of Musashino Hachimangu, and on the Sunday the neighbourhood mikoshi gather on Heiwa-dori in front of the station. Both are free to watch.
Inokashira Park: boats, the art market and blossoms
Inokashira Park is the heart of Kichijoji. Its long pond has rowing boats, pedal boats and swan boats for hire, and a small Benzaiten shrine sits on the water. An old local story says couples who ride a boat here break up because the goddess gets jealous, which does not stop anyone. In spring the pond is lined with cherry trees and becomes one of the best-known hanami spots in western Tokyo, and in autumn the trees turn red and yellow. The park also has a small zoo and aquarium, Inokashira Park Zoo.
On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays the park hosts the Inokashira Park Art Market, where artists and craftspeople sell their own work, from illustrations to jewellery, and street performers and musicians play along the paths. It is run by a local committee, takes place in a set area of the park and depends on the weather. In recent years it has also paused for the hottest part of summer, so check before you go in August.
- The park is free. Boats and the zoo charge a fee, and the boat house has regular closing days.
- Hanami weekends are very crowded. Weekday mornings are the calm time to see the blossoms.
- The art market sellers often take cash only. Bring coins and small notes.
The Ghibli Museum next door
The Ghibli Museum, Mitaka, sits at the western edge of Inokashira Park. You cannot buy tickets at the door: entry is for a set date and time only, booked in advance through Lawson Ticket. Tickets for each month usually go on sale on the 10th of the month before and sell out fast for weekends and school holidays. They are issued in the visitor's name, so read the rules on the official page before you buy.
The museum is closed on Tuesdays and during maintenance breaks. From Kichijoji it is about a fifteen-minute walk through the park. From Mitaka Station, the next stop west on the JR Chuo Line, you can walk about fifteen minutes along the Tamagawa Josui canal or take the community bus from the south exit.
- Set a reminder for the 10th if you want a weekend slot. Weekdays are easier to get.
- Combine it with the park: walk from Kichijoji through Inokashira Park to the museum, and take the bus back to Mitaka.
Live music, Harmonica Yokocho and the evening
Kichijoji's music scene is smaller than Koenji's and more varied. Star Pine's Cafe, a basement a few minutes from the station, is the largest of the Mandala group's venues, with jazz, experimental music, singer-songwriters and long-running monthly series. CLUB SEATA is a club venue for rock and band shows, and several smaller bars host live sets. Like live houses elsewhere, many charge a drink fee at the door on top of the ticket.
Right by the north exit is Harmonica Yokocho, a grid of narrow lanes that grew out of a postwar black market. Close to a hundred tiny shops are packed in side by side, and the name is said to come from the row of narrow fronts that looks like the holes of a harmonica. In the daytime it has shops selling fish, sweets and snacks, and at night the yakitori counters and small bars fill up. Many seat only a handful of people and some charge a seat fee, so check the sign or ask.
- Shops in the yokocho are small and often cash only. Keep your bag on your lap or skip the big backpack.
- Shows in Kichijoji usually end before the last train, which leaves time for one drink in the yokocho.
Getting there and nearby areas
Kichijoji Station is on the JR Chuo Line, about fifteen minutes from Shinjuku on a rapid train, with the yellow Chuo-Sobu Line local as well. It is also the last stop of the Keio Inokashira Line from Shibuya, which passes through Shimokitazawa on the way. Inokashira-koen Station, one stop before Kichijoji on that line, is closest to the southern end of the park.
The Inokashira Line makes an easy day out: start in Shimokitazawa for vintage and lunch, then ride to Kichijoji for the park and an evening show. On the Chuo Line, Koenji and Nishi-Ogikubo are a few stops towards the city centre, and Mitaka is one stop further out. Trains stop around midnight, so check your last train if you head back to central Tokyo late.
