Shimokitazawa (下北沢, Shimokitazawa) is a commercial and entertainment area in Kitazawa, Setagaya, Tokyo. It is located in the southwestern corner of the Kitazawa district, hence the name "Shimo-kitazawa" (literally lower Kitazawa). Also known as "Shimokita", the neighbourhood is well known for the density of small independent fashion retailers, cafes, theaters, bars and live music venues.
Shimokitazawa street scene
Independent fashion retail; a feature of Shimokitazawa
The neighbourhood is often compared with the backstreets of Ura-Harajuku and Koenji; smaller shop units and restricted vehicular access has limited its appeal to larger domestic and international fashion merchandisers, enabling independent retailers to survive. The district consists of the streets immediately surrounding Shimo-Kitazawa Station, where the Odakyu Electric Railway and Keio Inokashira Lines intersect. The neighbourhood has long been a center for stage theater and live music venues; serves as a home to the historic Honda Gekijō theater and holds theatre festivals throughout the year. With numerous cafes, secondhand and vintage fashion[1] and recorded music outlets, Shimokitazawa remains popular with students and followers of Japanese youth subcultures.[2]
Redevelopment
In 2004, the Setagaya City Council released a plan to redevelop a large section of the city, including the construction of several high rise buildings, and extending Route 54 across the city. The streets are very narrow and highly intersected, with many small alleyways. Because many residents and visitors consider this to be part of the charm of Shimokitazawa, some controversy surrounds the development plan, which some saw as degrading and crassly commercialized. [3][4]
With the relocation of the Odakyu Line rail tracks underground in March 2013, new station entrances, along with fully doubled tracks in both directions, larger scale redevelopment of the immediate Shimo-Kitazawa Station area is ongoing and the infamous Odakyu rush hour crunch has been reduced to 150% of train load as of 2018 from nearly 200% previously.
In popular culture
Shimokitazawa serves as the primary setting of the manga series Bocchi the Rock! and its anime adaptation, whose popularity has contributed to increased tourism of the area.[5][6]
References
^Joy, Alicia (9 February 2017). "Best Vintage Shops in Shimokitazawa". Culture Trip.
^Kawamura, Yuniya (2012). Fashioning Japanese Subcultures. Berg Publishers / Bloomsbury. p. 93. ISBN9780857852151.
shimokitazawa, 下北沢, commercial, entertainment, area, kitazawa, setagaya, tokyo, located, southwestern, corner, kitazawa, district, hence, name, shimo, kitazawa, literally, lower, kitazawa, also, known, shimokita, neighbourhood, well, known, density, small, ind. Shimokitazawa 下北沢 Shimokitazawa is a commercial and entertainment area in Kitazawa Setagaya Tokyo It is located in the southwestern corner of the Kitazawa district hence the name Shimo kitazawa literally lower Kitazawa Also known as Shimokita the neighbourhood is well known for the density of small independent fashion retailers cafes theaters bars and live music venues Shimokitazawa street scene Independent fashion retail a feature of Shimokitazawa A small Shinto shrine in Shimokitazawa at night Contents 1 Independent retail 2 Redevelopment 3 In popular culture 4 References 5 External linksIndependent retail EditThe neighbourhood is often compared with the backstreets of Ura Harajuku and Koenji smaller shop units and restricted vehicular access has limited its appeal to larger domestic and international fashion merchandisers enabling independent retailers to survive The district consists of the streets immediately surrounding Shimo Kitazawa Station where the Odakyu Electric Railway and Keio Inokashira Lines intersect The neighbourhood has long been a center for stage theater and live music venues serves as a home to the historic Honda Gekijō theater and holds theatre festivals throughout the year With numerous cafes secondhand and vintage fashion 1 and recorded music outlets Shimokitazawa remains popular with students and followers of Japanese youth subcultures 2 Redevelopment EditIn 2004 the Setagaya City Council released a plan to redevelop a large section of the city including the construction of several high rise buildings and extending Route 54 across the city The streets are very narrow and highly intersected with many small alleyways Because many residents and visitors consider this to be part of the charm of Shimokitazawa some controversy surrounds the development plan which some saw as degrading and crassly commercialized 3 4 With the relocation of the Odakyu Line rail tracks underground in March 2013 new station entrances along with fully doubled tracks in both directions larger scale redevelopment of the immediate Shimo Kitazawa Station area is ongoing and the infamous Odakyu rush hour crunch has been reduced to 150 of train load as of 2018 from nearly 200 previously In popular culture EditShimokitazawa serves as the primary setting of the manga series Bocchi the Rock and its anime adaptation whose popularity has contributed to increased tourism of the area 5 6 References Edit Joy Alicia 9 February 2017 Best Vintage Shops in Shimokitazawa Culture Trip Kawamura Yuniya 2012 Fashioning Japanese Subcultures Berg Publishers Bloomsbury p 93 ISBN 9780857852151 Save the Shimokitazawa Archived 2007 03 23 at the Wayback Machine Splitting a Hip Neighborhood in More Ways Than One by Martin Fackler The New York Times October 1 2006 Michel Patrick St 2023 02 17 Bocchi the Rock Real Life Anime Locations in Shimokitazawa Tokyo Weekender in Japanese Retrieved 2023 04 20 Bocchi the Rock Fans Visit Series Real Life Locations in Tokyo epicstream com Retrieved 2023 04 20 External links Edit Media related to Shimokitazawa at Wikimedia Commons Shimokitazawa JNTO Go Tokyo Travel Guide Shimokitazawa Music Festival Japanese Coordinates 35 39 42 N 139 40 00 E 35 66160556 N 139 6665611 E 35 66160556 139 6665611 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Shimokitazawa amp oldid 1150906062, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
