Soshigaya, Tokyo: Ultraman Town
A local area that’s all about Ultraman. With Ultraman statues, street lamps, decorations and more, this retro Tokyo neighborhood is unlike any other.
Soshigaya is a residential area in the Setagaya Ward
It’s most famous for being the capital for “Ultraman”
Quaint like many other Tokyo neighborhoods, it has a unique quirkiness to it
Even though Tokyo is a gigantic city, many of its neighborhoods actually have a quaint feeling to them. Many of these are rarely visited by tourists, despite having so much to offer in terms of authenticity and uniqueness.
One of the more unique Tokyo neighborhoods is Soshigaya, known to be the capital for the famous character “Ultraman”.
How to get there
The main station in Soshigaya is Soshigaya-Okura on the Odakyu line. It’s easily accessible from Shinjuku Station, and is about a 23-minute train ride going west. The main part of the neighborhood is at the North Exit.
About Soshigaya
Located in the desirable Setagaya Ward, Soshigaya a quiet residential neighborhood. What makes it unique is just how much Ultraman is weaved into the town
It began in 1966, when Tsuburaya Productions aired the character’s pilot episode. The company’s head office was located near Soshigaya, and although it has since moved, the neighborhood still celebrates the world-famous creation.
Just like how some trains in Tokyo play a particular chime that pays homage to the location of the train station it’s arriving at, Soshigaya takes things one step further and weaves Ultraman into the neighborhood itself.
Exit Soshigaya-Okura Station’s North Exit and you’ll see a statue of Ultraman. Take a few steps and you’ll hit the main street appropirately named “Ultraman Shotengai”, or Ultraman Street. Look up and you’ll notice that even the street lamps themselves are Ultraman designs.
Housing in Soshigaya
Soshigaya is considered a good place to live as it’s a neighborhood with a number of conveniences. It’s also on the Odakyu Line, which goes directly to Shinjuku Station.
The average rent in Soshigaya is 87,900 JPY (USD $559) per month for a 1K studio while a 1LDK single bedroom apartment goes for 178,100 JPY (USD $1,133) as of June 2024. [J]
Low Key Tone Coffee
A Japanese-style coffee shop for coffee-lovers.
If you like coffee, you’ll be pleased with this place as it has many types of beans for the coffee-obsessed to choose from, as well as brewing equipment.
There’s the shop itself with a small counter area as well as a coffee stand for easy takeout next door.
Curry Nankai
If you’re visiting Soshigaya, you’re probably not looking for a large chain restaurant. Curry-no-nankai, or Curry Nankai is a hole-in-the-wall shop located right on Soshigaya Ave, better known as “Ultraman Street”.
Run by an older couple, this small shop uses a small cash-only ticket machine, and just feels like how a Japanese curry shop should be.
They have curry with various meats like beef, pork, chicken, ground meat, and more, and the overall retro vibe matches the feeling of the neighborhood.
Couki
One of my favorite tan tan ramen spots in Tokyo.
While I haven’t eaten at this Couki location, the shop makes delicious bowls packed with spices and flavors. The texture in each bite and slurp are hard to match, and these bowls compete with the best out there.
The Soshigaya location is near the South Exit of Soshigaya-Okura Station, right off of Ultraman Street. Really convenient, Couki will be the perfect meal to top off your experience in the neighborhood.
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Shimotakaido, Tokyo
A residential area in the Setagaya Ward, it has some nice kissaten coffee shops, cherry blossoms, and is where I first lived in Tokyo.
Shimotakaido is a residential neighborhood about 15 minutes west of Shinjuku in the Setagaya Ward
The Shimotakaido Ekimae Ichiba fish market and movie theater are a couple reasons people stop by the area
It’s a lesser known cherry blossom spot in Tokyo during the spring
Just a little west from Shinjuku station on the Keio line is a small neighborhood area called Shimotakaido.
I lived just a 3 minute walk away from Shimotakaido station between 2014 and 2018 in a 1K studio apartment. While it’s not a major destination nor a must-visit, it’s a typical Setagaya, Tokyo neighborhood that nearby locals and college students gather at, and gives a taste of real, typical Tokyo life.
How to get there
From Shinjuku, the Keio local and rapid lines stop at Shimotakaido station. Keio line’s Express and Rapid Express won’t stop so there’s a need to transfer at either Sasazuka or Meidaimae stations.
The Setagaya line, a photogenic, 2-car street level train also travels between Shimotakaido and Sangenjaya stations.
A Keio line train stops at Shimotakaido Station on a snowy winter night.
About Shimotakaido
Shimotakaido was a post station along the Koshu Kaido travel route that connected present-day Tokyo with neighboring regions long ago during the Edo period. Today, it’s a residential neighborhood that has moments of liveliness due to being near the Nihon University campus.
The area is centered around its main street, Shimotakaido Shōtengai, which travels east-west. It’s painted green and is right outside of the station, so you can’t miss it.
Almost everything is either on this street or a block or so from it, making everything really convenient. There are cafes, small outdoor markets, bars, convenience stores and a 24-hour supermarket - everything that makes for an easy place to live in.
The Shimotakaido Shōtengai on a clear evening.
A woman walks the Shimotakaido Shōtengai on a snowy, winter evening.
There are plans for many of the stations along the Keio line, including Shimotakaido Station, to undergo major redesigns and renovations. This will likely make the neighborhood even better.
Housing in Shimotakaido
Located in the desirable Setagaya Ward, the average monthly cost for a 1K studio apartment is 76,400 JPY (USD $486) while a 1LDK single bedroom apartment is 155,500 JPY (USD $988) as of June 2024. [J]
Shimotakaido Ekimae Ichiba
The Shimotakaido Ekimae Ichiba fish market is right across from the station’s north exit and has a few shops selling fresh fish and sashimi. There’s also a small meat shop in the ally right behind it, as well as another in front.
A man buying fish at the Shimotakaido Ekimae Ichiba fish market
A shop owner at the Shimotakaido Ekimae Ichiba fish market makes a sale.
Because it’s a typical residential area, it’s not a lively area and there’s not a whole lot of events to see. The two main events are the Shimotakaido Festival in the summer where there’s dancing and several food booths, and the Sakura Festival in the spring with much of the same centered around cherry blossoms.
Shimotakaido Summer Festival
Shimotakaido cherry blossoms
I learned in my time living there that Shimotakaido is one of Tokyo’s unknown cherry blossom spots.
While it doesn’t have a picturesque lake or grassy hillside or anything like some of these other Tokyo cherry blossom areas, there’s a pretty long tunnel full of the pink flowers covering the street right outside of Nihon University. If you’re not into fighting crowds to see a sakura tunnel, this is a pretty good option.
Japan’s kissaten coffee culture can also be experienced here as there are a few nice kissatens in Shimotakaido. It’s kissaten like these that inspired people such as W. James Freeman, the founder of Blue Bottle Coffee (part of the reason why their first international location was in Japan).
More than simply a coffee shop, kissatens are akin to homey cafes specializing in hand-poured, slow drip coffee and homestyle cooking where you can relax, chat, read or work.
Shimotakaido may not be as exciting as other nearby areas like Shimokitazawa, but it’s a great neighborhood to head to on an early weekend afternoon as people are out and about, and you can truly soak in the authentic Setagaya, Tokyo lifestyle.
Poem
Some of my favorite coffee. If you’re a fan of rich, dark coffee, this is the spot.
More of a kissaten cafe than a trendy coffee shop, Poem’s focus is entirely on the beans. Step inside the shop and the first thing you’ll see is a table seeking their assorted roasts, with the clear plastic bags of their dark roasts coated in coffee bean oil.
The biggest knock on Poem is that they allow unseparated smoking (as of Nov 2019). But otherwise it’s a nice place to kick back and enjoy an amazing cup.
Niku to Sozai no Hotta
Just out of Shimotakaido Station’s north exit is Niku to Souzai no Hotta, a butcher shop. Of course they have a range of meats, but their croquettes and fried foods are what people love to buy.
In the mornings people line up at their street-side stand, just across the fish market, for everything from crab cream croquettes to tonkatsu. They’re sure to sell out, so if you happen to walk by and and their trays aren’t empty yet, pick one up to take with you on the go.
Coffee & Roaster 2-3
A quaint little kissaten, Coffee 2-3 is a small, quiet shop that lets its customers do their own thing. Seating is separated and not arranged for a lot of conversation or staff interaction, so there are people reading, writing, or just enjoying being alone with their thoughts.
In traditional kissaten style, they have a few dishes with homemade flavor to choose from. I sat at the counter and watched the barista ever so slowly and carefully pour my cup, so I know they put a lot of care into their craft.
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