Ready to immerse yourself in Japanese culture? I hope so! Let’s explore Suginami together; only 10 minutes away from Shinjuku!
First up, we have Nishi Ogikubo’s stationary store, Tonarino, which can also be translated to “I want to be next to you”. Here, they sell many kinds of stationary goods alongside their original products. If you’re looking for some cute stationary goods, take a visit!
Ready to move on? Because I’ve got more coming for you. Ogikubo is our next stop! At Kobari Rice Shop located in Ogikubo, you can learn to cook and store your rice properly. What’s more, the rice provided at this store comes fresh and polished out of the rice mill. Rice heating pads are sold here too. These thermal pads emit heat and contain moisture and can be heated in microwaves to be made warm. These pads are not only suitable for when it is cold, but for the summer as well as they can be frozen so you can keep cool.
If you’re looking for a spot to unwind, this just might be the place for you. Located in Ogikubo, Otaguro Park is a park with a Kaiyu Style Japanese Garden built on the site of music critic Moto Otaguro’s house. The authentic Japanese garden can be enjoyed free of charge. You can enjoy the autumn leaves two times a day. During the day, you can enjoy them as they are and at night, you can enjoy them being lit up in night lights.
Let’s take a trip to learn more about Japanese culture! At Asagaya, there is an Asagaya Shinmeigu Shrine, which worships Japan’s “Mihashira no Uzunomiko”, the three main Shinto gods: Amaterasu Omikami, Tsukuyomi no Mikoto, and Susano-o no Mikoto. Further, Asagaya Shinmeigu Shrine sells products that you can only purchase here at the shrine such as “Kan Musubi” Misanga amulets and moon-shaped ema.
And our final stop… Kōenji! Take a walk around Kisho Jinja Shrine, Japan’s only shrine that worships the “God of Weather”. This shrine is a rare power spot where many worshippers visit to pray for good weather using the geta-shaped ema that is designed from the Japanese saying “Geta Weather Predicting”.
Do you by any chance like to dance? Tokyo Koenji Awa-Odori is held on the last Saturday and Sunday of August every year. So, if you’re visiting around August, it’s worth a visit! With 10,000 dancers from all ages performing in front of an audience, dancers and music players practice hard all year round.
