Four reasons to visit this relatively unknown Tokyo neighbourhood

There are four key attractions in Jimbocho, four good reasons to visit this peppy Tokyo neighbourhood – and that’s impressive for an area with pretty much no public profile among foreign tourists.

You might know Shinjuku, you’ve heard of Harajuku, you’re familiar with Ginza and Asakusa. But who travels to Tokyo with the idea of calling through Jimbocho? Almost no one.

Ramen – one of the main reasons to visit Jimbocho.Credit: Getty Images

And yet, four big reasons to visit.

The first? Books. Jimbocho, a relatively low-rise suburb within walking distance of Ginza, is known among locals as book town. Those books, new and used, are housed in more than 200 stores dotted around Jimbocho, often squeezy places that make for fascinating window shopping, with everything from manga to novels to art and design books and more – though if you can’t read Japanese you might find few to purchase.

You will probably find far more enjoyment in Jimbocho’s next attraction: curry. This area has become a hub in recent years for restaurants selling Japanese-style curry, which is sweeter and milder than the Indian curries it is distantly related to, and would make the obvious lunch choice for those tourists mid-shop if it weren’t for yet another Jimbocho specialty – ramen.

Jimbocho has become a hub for restaurants selling Japanese-style curry.Credit: Getty Images

Ask any ramen fan in Tokyo and they’ll tell you that Jimbocho is an essential stop during your time in the city. There are all sorts of styles available here, from light Tokyo ramen, to spicy tantanmen, to the ramen I’ve just eaten, tsukemen, in which thick, chewy noodles are dipped into rich soup and slurped up by the grateful diner (me).

I ate it at Katsumoto, a legendary ramen-ya, and it was incredibly good. I’m planning a second lunch at a different ramen shop – or maybe a curry.

Now though, it’s time to investigate the fourth reason to visit Jimbocho: art.

Art pervades the property at The Palace Hotel.

There’s a perception among many travellers that artwork would make an expensive souvenir, particularly if you’re chasing something original, something by a well-known artist. But Japan doesn’t necessarily work like that.

Art here can be amazingly affordable, mostly because one of the key traditional styles of Japanese art, wood-block printing (such as The Great Wave off Kanagawa, Hokusai’s iconic masterpiece), can be reproduced endlessly, and those reproductions will look and feel almost identical to the first prints done under the hand of the artist, hundreds of years ago.

Your one-stop-shop for art supplies in Tokyo, eight-floor Bumpodo.

Jimbocho boasts many stores selling woodblock prints, as well as other forms of Japanese art, some original and quite pricey, though others by up-and-coming artists or prints of popular originals that are much more affordable.

I’ve always had a thing for Japanese art, though particularly so now, as I’m staying just down the road at the Palace Hotel Tokyo, a luxury property that features more than 700 original works of art displayed throughout its rooms, hallways and public spaces, gorgeous piece after gorgeous piece.

So yes, I want some art. I need my house to look as much like a hallway in the Palace Hotel as possible.

Shop supplies or create your own art at Bumpodo art school.

First stop for any art fan in Jimbocho should be Bumpodo, an eight-floor art supplies store and gallery that has been open since 1887. There’s even an art school here, if you would like to create your own.

That’s not my specialty, so I’m moving on to Mita Arts Gallery, a store that specialises in ukiyo-e, a style of woodblock printing popular in Japan from the 17th to 19th centuries. These works often depict landscapes, flora and fauna, aristocratic figures and kabuki actors, and at Mita there is drawer after drawer, rack after rack filled with prints at good prices.

Perusing prints at Gallery Soumei-do.

Gallery Soumei-do is nearby and has a similar offering, four floors filled with woodblock prints from various eras. It’s overwhelming, though enchanting. Hara Shobo is another store housing an incredible, accessible collection of historic prints. Kotenhanga Toshusai is smaller and more heavily curated, which can be a bonus for those who don’t have endless hours to trawl.

And this, literally, is just the beginning. Wander the streets of Jimbocho and take note of the signs posted outside buildings, and you will discover at least 20 dedicated stores selling affordable Japanese art.

Then you can grab a curry.

The details

Visit

Jimbocho (sometimes spelled “Jinbocho”) is in inner Tokyo, one stop on the subway from Otemachi, near Tokyo Station, or five stops from Shinjuku. See japan.travel

Stay

The best place to stay nearby is the Palace Hotel Tokyo, which has luxurious rooms from $740 a night. See en.palacehoteltokyo.com

The writer travelled with assistance from Club Med Kiroro Grand and Palace Hotel Tokyo.