Take a Trip Through Bohemian Tokyo in Shimo-Kitazawa

West of Tokyo, just a few subway stops from Shibuya, the district of Shimo-Kitazawa is dotted with busy, bohemian shopping streets. A unique location and off the major tourist trails, it is the perfect place to branch out and find new vintage thrift stores, bars, art galleries, cafes and restaurants.

Haight & Asbury

A giant shoe indicates the entrance to the Haight & Asbury store, which has become a mainstay of the Shimo-Kitazawa neighborhood. Specialising in American and European clothing from the 19th and 20th centuries, the shop receives its customers with great care, helping them source high-end vintage clothing or an original accessory. Every day, new arrivals come and enrich the rails, making it difficult to leave empty handed.

Ballon D’essai Latte & Art

Impossible to miss the circular entrance to Ballon D’essai Latte & Art. Inside, jazzy music gives way to a relaxing environment, perfect for a small break from the demands of the day accompanied by exceptional coffee, carefully chosen by the baristas from the best roasters in Japan. In addition to the excellent technique displayed by the baristas, transforming each hot drink into an original work such as a cat or Totoro, the walls of the café are adorned with art quenching a thirst for culture simultaneously.

Sushi Fukumoto

Sushi Fukumoto is one of the best sushi restaurants in the capital, awarded with a Michelin star. Located in the basement of a building, the small restaurant has only eight seats, ideal for watching the chef prepare each sushi and sashimi with utmost dexterity. On the menu, only two set menus are on offer, the sushi menu with 13 pieces selected by the chef, and the omokase menu with 10 sushi and starters, a rotating selection developed by the chef.

B & B

This B & B is not a Bed & Brekfast but a Book & Beer. The two founders of this unique concept library, Koichiro Shima and Shintaro Uchinuma, once spoke of their desire to find an incredible place where it would be possible to dive into books while quenching their thirst with a cold beer. The idea has since finally materialised and their B & B welcomes curious consumers eager to whet their literary thirst with books and drinks.