| Suginami (Tokyo) | |
 | |
Location  | |
Coat of arms and flag   | |
| State | Japan |
|---|---|
| Region | Kantō |
| Website | Official site |
Suginami is a district of the city of Tokyo.
To know
Suginami is mostly a residential area that provides great views of real Japanese life in Tokyo.
Namisuke is the official character of Suginami and can be seen on posters on walls and on loaves in shops.
Geographical notes
The district is located west of Shinjuku and is crossed by the 1 Myōshōji River (妙 正 寺 川, myōshōji-gawa) from 2 Zenpukuji River and from 3 a third river more southern.
How to orient yourself
Suginami: full screen map.The main points of interest in the area are the clothing shops and nightclubs of 4 Kōenji (高 円 寺) and the antique shops of 5 Ogikubo (荻 窪) e 6 Nishi-Ogikubo (西 荻 窪).
Kame Kaidō (青梅 街道) is a main road connecting Shinjuku to the western suburbs, crossing Kōenji and Ogikubo. To the top of Kaidō, Kōenji is a ten-minute, 45-minute walk or 1600 yen by taxi from Shinjuku Station.
How to get
The line 
and the line 
and they connect both Shinjuku in Ogikubo. With the line , the line 
and the line 
you can go to Kōenji, Asagaya, Ogikubo and Nishi-Ogikubo. But you have to be careful because during weekends and holidays the express service on the JR Chuo Line does not stop at Kōenji, Asagaya and Nishi-Ogikubo.
| Connections |
| Nagoya ← Tachikawa ← | OR  IS | → Nakano → Tokyo |
| Mitaka ← | OR  IS | → Nakano → Shinjuku |
| Hon-Kawagoe ← Tokorozawa ← Tanashi ← | OR  IS | → Saginomiya → Seibu Shinjuku |
| end ← | No.  S. | → Shimo Kitazawa → Shibuya |
| end ← | OR  IS | → Nakano Sakaue → Shinjuku |
| Hachioji ← Fuchu ← Chofu ← | OR  IS | → Setagaya → Shinjuku |
How to get around
What see
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- 1 Municipal Museum of Suginami (杉 並 区 立 郷 土 博物館, suginami rikkyō hakubutsukan), 1 Chome-20-8 Ōmiya, Suginami-ku (Close to Wadabori park accessible from Eifukuchō station
(17 minutes walk) or from Shin Koenji station 
(20 minutes on foot)), ☎ 81 3-3317-0841. 
Tue-Sun 09: 00-17: 00. It is a small museum but has some interesting finds from prehistoric and historical times. - 2 Myōshō-ji Temple (妙 正 寺), 3 Chome-5-10 Shimizu, Suginami-ku (15 minutes from Iogi station
), ☎ 81 3-3399-6076. This Buddhist temple was built in 1325, then rebuilt in 1646. Myosyoji Park and the Myosyoji River are nearby.
(17 minutes walk) or from Shin Koenji station 
Tue-Sun 09: 00-17: 00. It is a small museum but has some interesting finds from prehistoric and historical times.
), ☎
- 3 Suginami kōkaidō (杉 並 公会 堂) (7 minutes from Ogikubo station
). Suginami kōkaidō is a building that was built in 1957, then rebuilt in 2006. Many types of events take place here, including the coming of age ceremony for the twenties. 
- 4 Suginami Animation Museum (杉 並 ア ニ メ ー シ ョ ン ミ ュ ー ジ ア ム, suginami anime-shon myujiamu), Suginami-ku, Kamiogi, 3 Chome − 29−5 杉 並 会館 (16 minutes from Nishiogikubo station ), ☎ 81 3-3396-1510.
free. Tue-Sun 10 am-6pm. This museum deals with animation in general. It shows the animations and also gives people a firsthand experience of how to create one. - 5 Omiyahachimangū (大 宮 八 幡 宮), 2-3-1 Omiya Suginami ward (10 minutes from Nishi-Eifuku station ), ☎ 81 3-3311-0105. 09:00-17:00. This shrine was built in 1053. Many people call it "Tokyo's navel" because it represents one of the centers of Tokyo. It is said to be a good place to pray by getting a favorable birth.
free. What to do
- 1 Kōen-ji (高 円 寺). In this area many used clothes are sold and there are restaurants, as well as places where bands play all kinds of music. After the war many temples and shrines were moved here and there are now many walking tours to visit them.
Parks
- 2 Myōshōji Park (妙 正 寺 公園, myōshōji kōen), 3 Chome-21-２１ Shimizu, Suginami-ku. This park is among the largest in the neighborhood. A highlight is the Myoshoji pond, with a fountain.
- 3 Zenpuku-ji Park (善 福寺 公園, zenpuku-ji kōen), 3-9-10 Zenpukuzi Suginami ward, ☎ 81 3 3396-0825. This park is close to the Tokyo Christian Women's University. The park is famous for the presence of water lilies in the ponds. You can also rent a boat. The best month to go is June.
- Wadabori Park (和田 堀 公園)) (15 minutes walk from 7 de Nishi-eifuku station). It is a large park in Omiya along the Zenpukuji River. It is a popular spot for groups and families who have barbecues. There is a small pond, a restaurant and fishing ponds. There is also a children's park to teach them how to ride a bike in a safe area with signs and traffic lights. There is also a traditional thatched house near the park. Kingfishers have their habitat in this area being very rare for a city.
Shopping
Kōenji has a long shōtengai which is well known for its vintage clothes and bohemian style shops. More or less it starts adjacent to Kōenji Station and runs to Ome-Kaido (Ome Highway) and Shin-Kōenji Station. It consists of two sections: Pal Shopping Mall is Kōenji Look.
Nishi-Ogikubo (西 荻 窪), a station down from Ogikubo, has a good selection of reasonably priced antique shops (骨董 kottō), but they are spread over a fairly large area. Ask the station for a map.
How to have fun
Where to eat
Moderate prices
- 1 Craft Beer Market Koenji (ク ラ フ ト ビ ー ル マ ー ケ ッ ト 高 円 寺 店), 2 Chome-22-６ Kōenjikita, Suginami-ku (Head to the North Exit of Koenji Station and follow Junjo Shopping Street to the end. It will be right in front of you, about a 2 minute walk), ☎ 81-3-5356-7982. A restaurant and bar with 30 taps of Japanese and imported craft beer. US pints are 780 yen and half pints are 480 yen, some of the cheapest in the city, if not the country. Each craft beer market has a different theme for its food, and Koenji offers grilled meats and vegetables.
Average prices
- 2 Baan-Esan, 2F Mitsuwa Kaikan, 3-33-15 Kita Koenji, Suginami-ku (Just one minute walk from the south exit of Koenji station. Located on Koenji shotengai.), ☎ 81 3-5327-3629. 17:00-03:00. Restaurant serving good sized portions of traditional Thai food, but not at Tokyo prices. Most dishes are 580 yen and great for sharing. The service is less than stellar, but the Thai woman in charge of the kitchen makes the wait pleasant.
- 3 Miyagawa (み や が わ), 3 Chome-58-15 Kōenjiminami, Suginami-ku (Walking distance from Kōenji station), ☎ 81 3-3316-2230. Another yakitori-ya. It's small but has outdoor seating for around eight and is probably one of the best yakitori you can find. Decorated with rock and blues accessories that date back to the 1940s, it has friendly staff, great prices and great food.
- 4 B-Glad, ２ 丁目 -16-13 Kōenjiminami, Suginami-ku (North of the intersection of Ome-Kaido and the main road leading to Kōenji station), ☎ 81 3-3313-8777. 450 to 1200 yen. A large restaurant-bar. The menu is a mixture of Japanese and Western dishes (pasta, salad, pizza, yakitori). Located in the basement, it is extremely spacious by Japanese standards, with comfortable seating, free pool table, and two electronic darts. Very friendly staff and 50's music.
Where stay
Moderate prices
- 1 The Koenji Guest House, 2nd and 3rd floor. 3-22-2 Koenji (1 minute walk from Koenji Station on the Chuo Line), ☎ 81 80-3416-9048. ¥2500. The place has 7 rooms (4 single and 3 double) all arranged efficiently. On weekends there may be noises from nearby bars.
