Your neighbourhood guide

Why Koenji is an awesome place? ChapterI

May. 31,2022

Koenji North exit

Tokyo’s one of the coolest hipster area, Koenji. It is already popular among the local Japanese and step by step the tourists discover this area too. Koenji has a young and energetic vibe in an area with low-rise buildings, which makes it cozy and cute as well. Why is Koenji an awesome place to live and to be in?

Since, we have one share house called Happy House Koenji, close to Koenji station, we would like to share some cool or convenient spots in this area. This time, we have listed up some of Koenji’s characteristic popular spots! Go there, if you have time.

Koenji is well-known of the various vintage second hand stores, like second hand book stores, music record stores and especially second hand clothes stores. The most of these stores are in the south of Koenji station in the famous street called “Look Street” and in the north of the station in the street “Azuma Street”. Here are some examples of second hand stores.

CLOTHES
There are a lot of different clothes which you cannot find anywhere else and they are still in good condition! For Vintage clothes, Loversoul, Re’all, Chart and Small change are interesting. These are the most popular ones where they sell clothes, shoes, bags and other accessories.

Small change: https://www.smallchange.jp/shop_koenji.html

Lover Soul: http://koenjilook.com/modules/shop0/index.php?id=290

Re’all: http://reall-koenji.com/

Chart: https://ameblo.jp/whistler-and-chart/

Re’all
credit: http://img11.shop-pro.jp/PA01294/717/slideshow/slideshow_img_6d22fc.jpg?cmsp_timestamp=20190109205535

Small Change
credit: https://media.timeout.com/images/102566928/750/422/image.jpg

BOOKS
For interesting and unique books, you might like Ehonya Rusuban Bansuru Kaisha, Cocktail, Tomaru and SUB-store. Enhonya Rusuban has a lot of children books from all over the world. Cocktail is transformed from a full bookstore to a bar with some books. Tomaru is more for people who can read Japanese and the last one, SUB-store is a place where you can eat, drink, listen music and read books.

Rusuban: http://rusuban.ocnk.net/page/36

Cocktail: https://www.tokyocreative.com/sights/7509-cocktail-koenji

Tomaru: https://nakadori.jp/shop/0333373690.html

SUB-Store: https://substore.jimdo.com

SUB-Store
credit: https://experience-suginami.tokyo/exstcms/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/054-720×540.jpg

Cocktail
credit: https://www.tokyocreative.com/sights/7509-cocktail-koenji

MUSIC RECORDS
Beside of that, Koenji has some music live bars and music lovers come to Koenji for music. Beside of live band performances, you can find second hand music records in small shops between the streets.
EAD records focuses on New Waves, Jazz Funky and Dance & House Classics. For Punk and Metal, Record Shop Base is the place to be. Be-in-records has vinyl records of the most famous international musicians like the Beatles. This store actually has a lot of different kind of music genres. If you are curious about Japanese indie music, you will like Enban. Enban sells CD and DVD of Japanese artists.

EAD records: http://www.eadrecord.com/

Record shop Base: http://www.recordshopbase.com/

Be in records：http://www.bein.co.jp/

Enban: http://enban.web.fc2.com/

SUB-Store
credit: https://www.lifein.tokyo.jp/thegear/content/theme/media/article/archive/20-180528_%E3%82%88%E3%81%BF%E3%82%82%E3%81%AE_SUBstore/SUB%201%20Dadang%20Pranoto.jpg