Get a sense of authentic Tokyo as you explore this quiet neighbourhood that sits in the northwestern part of the city.

The neighbourhood of Minaminagasaki is located at the western edge of Toshima, one of Tokyo’s busiest and most prominent wards. While Toshima is full of popular tourist attractions, Minaminagasaki is frequented mostly by locals who live or work in the area. Come here for a walk for a few hours to see an authentic side of the city.

The Minaminagasaki neighbourhood is compact enough to explore entirely on foot. There are no big-name sights here, but instead lots of small, interesting restaurants and other places of interest to discover as you wander through the streets. Start your day by picking up a breakfast from one of the many cafés of the main eating area, located in the northern part of the neighbourhood.

Next, head to one of the neighbourhood’s green spaces to enjoy your food outdoors. The parks here are all relatively small, quiet and family-friendly. Minaminagasaki Sports Park is the largest. It features an indoor sports centre as well as plenty of green space. Smaller parks include Shiinamachi Park, with a small playground, and Minami-Nagasaki Harappa Park, which becomes very colourful during cherry blossom season.

For shopping, head to iTerrace Ochiai-Minami-Nagasaki, the mall located at the southern edge of the neighbourhood and connected to the Ochiai-Minami-Nagasaki subway station. The mall is targeted at locals so mainly offers items for day-to-day living, rather than fashion or souvenirs. However, it is still a decent place to do some people-watching or pick up snacks and drinks.

Close to the mall is the Hobby Centre Kato Tokyo, a store that stocks model railway components. Come here to see the elaborate model railways that have been set up in the store. Even if you do not have children, this is a fun place to visit.

Minaminagasaki is easy to reach by public transportation from anywhere in the city. Travel to the Ochiai-Minami-Nagasaki, Shiinamachi or Higashi-Nagasaki subway stations to explore the neighbourhood.