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Offered languages
- English
Visit iconic Koenji live music venues that helped define Tokyo’s underground music scene
Browse vinyl record shops specializing in punk, jazz, experimental, and Japanese indie music
Explore independent bookstores focused on politics, art, and alternative culture
Discover Koenji’s famous used clothing and recycle stores, central to its anti-consumerist identity
Walk through backstreets rarely visited by tourists
Visit a local Koenji temple that anchors the neighborhood
Stop at Kishō Jinja, a Shinto shrine dedicated to weather, fate, and resilience
Learn how Koenji became Tokyo’s enduring countercultural hub
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Meet outside the ticket gate of JR Koenji Station
Itinerary
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1
The plaza at the north side of Koenji station is a late-night hangout for people of all kinds, including street artists and musicians, as well as a spot for performing arts festivals and the kind of protest demonstrations, that first put Koenji on the counterculture map in the 1950s.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2
One of Tokyo’s most respected live music venues, known for jazz, blues, and experimental performances since the 1970s, Jirokichi was the leader of Koenji's live music scene when the owner began opening his basement music cafe without a state -- into a venue for weekend live performances.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3
Kisho Jinja is the only Shinto shrine dedicated to weather forecasting. Constructed for the Imperial Army so that its nearby weather forecasting station could more accurately predict the weather, and allow Japan's military to more efficiently kill its enemies, it is now where Japanese go to pray for good weather. It is also unusual in the unique way visitors express their weather prayers.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
EAD record, across the street from the shrine, possesses a full-on Koenji vibe in a little shoebox store with a huge reputation for its curated inventory and investment in the local music scene.
Admission ticket free -
4
Godzilla-ya is a retro toy and collectible shop under the tracks, where nostalgia, pop culture, and underground art overlap.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5
Attached to the iconic S.U.B.store clothing shop, S.U.B.store Café is a tiny, no-frills hangout that captures Koenji’s underground spirit in coffee form. Popular with artists, musicians, and regulars from the neighborhood, it’s less about latte art and more about atmosphere—raw, unpolished, and unapologetically local.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
6
Visit Be-In Records, a classic Koenji record shop specializing in punk, rock, and underground music. Koenji's live music scene evolved out of its 1970s vinyl culture. The owner, Aki, opened for business 25 years ago as a way of keeping that spirit alive.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7Koenji Pal Shopping Street
Although a polished covered shopping arcade, PAL is home to a good sample of the vast number of used-clothing stores that have moved to Koenji over the past 20 years to flee the commercialism of other Tokyo neighborhoods.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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