Where to Go in Kichijoji: Best Cafes, Shops & Restos
Enjoy Tokyo’s no.1 most desirable place to live in before making the move
As a city girl, I’m definitely used to the buzz of hundreds, thousands of people walking the streets every day — no matter if it’s a weekday or the weekend.
But it’s also because I’m a city girl that I’d prefer to go somewhere that lets me have some peace and quiet whilst still feeling like I’m in the middle of the city, with its convenient cluster of shops, restaurants, and, well, humanity (gotta love ’em or hate ‘em).
And whilst you can still find such spots in overcrowded districts like Shibuya, if you know where to look, some other districts make it that much easier without forcing you to walk less-trodden paths for that breath of fresh air.
And with convenient connections with both the suburbs in the western side and the tourist meccas of Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Shimokitazawa in central Tokyo, Kichijoji definitely takes the crown —
— or cake, considering it has its fair share of cute cafes you’d specifically want to travel for regardless of where you live.
And on that note, here are some of the best places for a relaxing day of snacking and window shopping in Kichijoji:
1. Aoyama Flower Market Tea House Kichijoji
Atre and other department stores like Seibu and Tokyu are always a good option when you don’t want to venture too far from the station.
With its promise of shops selling cute yet affordable accessories, clothing, and delicious food items, you can spend more than a couple of hours just browsing everything and still hesitate on that cafe or the other.
But as soon as my friend and I caught sight of this greenhouse smacked right in the middle of a hallway filled with more conventional, modern-style cafes, we knew we had to go in even though it was already close to dinnertime.
Aoyama Flower Market cafes can also be found in Aoyama and Akasaka, both of which are located outdoors.
But there’s something especially charming about seeing so much greenery in such a modern interior: of seeing a wealth of green vines winding up the walls made of bare metallic frames and peeking up at you through the glass surface of your table as you enjoy a warm cup of pink rose tea paired with a heavenly, flower-infused cream puff.
2. Gclef Tea Shop
Japan is a heaven for tea enthusiasts, but other than its prized, local varieties of green tea, houjicha, and mugicha, there are plenty of quality specialty stores that deal in a wide variety of black, red, and white teas from all over the world.
Gclef is one of them, offering shelves of Darjeeling and Assam tea blends from India on top of Chinese, Taiwanese, and Japanese varieties of black and green tea.
As an avid collector of interesting house blends, I purchased a pack of mint massala chai (10 bags) for 972 yen the last time I went there, which was definitely on the expensive side, but the tang of warm spice following every sip became my go-to for especially chilly days and to pair with lightly seasoned food.
Located just off of the Sun Road shopping arcade north of Kichijoji Station, the store is hard to miss with its faint yet enticing smell of freshly brewed tea leaves and rows and rows of its signature, Gclef-branded red tea packs visible through the open entrance.
3. Chai Break
Inokashira Park is huge, which definitely helps when there’s a lot of people coming to see the cherry blossoms. But even at its most crowded, you can enjoy a leisurely stroll through the trees and easily find a picnic spot with a group of friends under the falling petals.
There are many entrances to the park packed with shops and restaurants in case you want to take a quick look or bite at any point during your nature walk.
Many aren’t that crowded either — though Chai Break will usually have a couple of people waiting in line on any afternoon. The short wait is definitely worth it though as you’re instantly hit with the cozy smell of spicy chai as soon as you enter through the wooden doors.
The wooden interior only adds to the image of soft jazz and old books next to a crackling hearth, and you can sit at one of the counter seats sketching out your inspirations in a little notebook as the staff pours a silky thick ribbon of brown chai from one stainless mug into another.
Make sure to try either the original or the seasonal chai your first time around and do ask to look at that day’s selection of muffins for a not-too-sweet, perfectly delectable pairing of a nutty or fruity baked good to go with your drink.
4. Cafe Bar Bloomoon
Located just three minutes north of Kichijoji Station in a surprisingly quiet neighborhood is a unique Asian fusion cafe, complete with all sorts of shiny, eye-catching ethnic decor for a mosaic of warmth and color.
Climbing onto the 2nd floor of the building, I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of food as we passed through the wooden doors and were faced with a mishmash of Persian rugs, Turkish glass lamps, and stone dragon statues. Thankfully, the lunch menu was much more straightforward in terms of what it had to offer.
I decided to go with the omurice amongst the tandoori, bean curry, and chicken avocado rice sets, and at 1,200 yen including drink and dessert, it was the perfect, fulfilling meal before we headed out for our long stroll through vast Inokashira Park.
The dinner menu offers a lot more options with that same affordability, with pizzas, fish, meat, rice, and/or noodle dishes to go with your alcohol of choice.
The dim, gold lighting at night really brings out the shine of the decor and, overall, the place is definitely a more chill, intimate option than the closely packed izakayas of nearby Harmonica Yokocho.
5. Kuusougai Stationery Store
The proof that Kichijoji has everything is the unexpected concentration of specialty stationery stores within ten minutes of the station — and it’s not just limited to stationery giant, Loft’s, multi-floor building (complete with a gacha and arcade in the basement).
Continue on the quieter street just past Parco and neighboring Tokyu Department Store and you just might stumble into the one-floor fantasy land of Kuusougai Zakkaten (literally “fantasy street general store”).
Selling miscellaneous goods like wallets, post cards, and schedule planners, the designs are so intricate and beautiful that you’ll want to surround yourself with as much of them as possible.
Like its name suggests, the designs are original creations depicting fantasy cities based on unique themes, from relatively simple ones like constellations and underwater, to the genius ideas of a city of black cats and “red apples in white snow.”
According to the official website, the store was established with the concept of selling “fantasy miscellaneous goods that even adults can carry around” and with PASMO card holders amongst the items for sale, there’s not much reason not to spruce up your commute back to Kichijoji with such an unusual, lovely find.
6. Giovanni
Just a little further down the street from Kuusougai is an even smaller — and a whole lot quieter (for good reason) — stationery-slash-antique store named Giovanni.
Upon walking through the door, it’s almost as if you’re transported back in time and space to the Italian Renaissance: quills, parchment paper, and sealing wax line the mahogany shelves, carefully set atop velvet cloths or in wooden boxes.
Perhaps the most modern (and Japanese) of the entire collection are the glass pens, stored in open cases with extra glass nibs and a bottle of ink to get you started.
Giovanni is listed as one of the eight best stationery stores in Tokyo, and if that doesn’t sound fancy enough, it apparently also sells rare items from the once powerful Medici family’s collection.
That said, there are plenty of affordable items on sale, and you can even order a custom seal stamp for the ultimate, novel purchase.
7. Potohar Halal Indian Restaurant
Places like “Kurazushi” might be a college student’s go-to for a guaranteed cheap meal with friends, but it’s a bit of a shame to eat the same thing as what’d you can get back in Shinjuku.
So, ignoring the Kurazushi just acrossfrom the north exit of the station, why not continue on a bit further and eat arguably the cheapest and most fulfilling Indian meal you’ll ever have in Tokyo?
Now, there’s not much of a price range when it comes to Indian restaurants, with most having meals from 800 to over a 1,000 yen depending on what you order.
But considering you can get two types of curry, a salad, and both naan and rice (usually they ask you to choose one) for only 1,100 including tax, you’ll be patting your stomach for a choice well-made — truly the perfect meal to end a day of nonstop shopping and eating (and walking, if you managed to make it past the shops to Inokashira Park) at Tokyo’s certified most desirable neighborhood to live in.
