- Jiyugaoka has always been high on the list of where city folk want to live. Enjoy strolling first around an enticing lineup of stylish shops not far from a station of convenient access, just eight minutes by train from Shibuya Station. Head out from the station and you enter a quiet, high-class residential area with a relaxed atmosphere, a charming contrast to city-center life among high-rises, one of many attractions bringing people here to visit and dwell.
- This trendy area has history, going back nearly a century, including commuter railway startups in 1927. Two years later, the station and its surrounding area were named Jiyugaoka, which loosely translates as “freedom hill.”
- International tourists today flock to the station and its environs for shopping, fashion, gourmet food, and more. Trainchi Jiyugaoka has many unique shops, and Luz Jiyugaoka’s shops for women offering chic wear and cosmetics are also popular. Cobblestoned Marie Clair Street, recalling European cities, is another must go destination.
- And when it comes to the sweet life, be sure to indulge in local sweet shops and cafes, as many do year-round at Mont Blanc, a confectionery known for its eponymous chestnut cake, the first shop to make it in Japan. Those with an active sweet tooth must try Jiyugaoka Sweets Forest.
- Perhaps to balance the sugar load, there has recently been a growing number of bubble tea shops specializing in tapioca and bubble tea (aka pearl milk tea or boba).
- Jiyugaoka also has events to enjoy traditional culture. At Jiyugaoka Kumano Shrine, a large festival is held to pray for rich harvest (Sep. 1–2). Going around the city are children and women bearing portable shrines, as well as an international goodwill portable shrine carried by people from different countries. Food stalls line the approach to the shrine, enhancing the festive mood felt by locals and visitors.
- Also unique to Jiyugaoka is a discount one-day pass (¥400): triangle ticket. For visiting thrilling and popular spots in Shibuya, Jiyugaoka, and Futako-Tamagawa, use triangle ticket to ride the rails many times and enjoy these three key points of interest in Tokyo, including a leisurely stroll through the lovely and lively Jiyugaoka.
ACCESS
- From Shibuya Station, Tokyu Toyoko Line limited express：8min.
From Yokohama Station, Tokyu Toyoko Line limited express：17min.
