Tokyo’s Retro Koenji

Backyard Tourism Vol. 11

As anyone who has visited Tokyo before can attest, Japan’s capital city is like one of those Matryoshka dolls. Every time you think that you’ve reached the bottom of what Tokyo has to offer, it always surprises you with something new. While haunts like Shibuya and Akihabara will always be perennially popular with overseas visitors to Japan, there’s just so much more to Tokyo than these iconic, mainstream spots. While I’ll admit I am a bit of a snob when it comes to hidden gems, I believe that authenticity is integral to creating lasting travel memories.

On that note, I’d like to move on to introducing the next installment of my Backyard Tourism series. This time, I’ll be featuring the charmingly retro neighborhood of Koenji. Found just to the west of Shinjuku, this part of Tokyo is ever so slightly removed from the insanity of the inner city. As a result, it has a far more laid back vibe when compared to the oppressive neon lights found in and around Shinjuku. Honestly, the contrast between the two is shocking when you consider their proximity to each other.

Historically speaking, Koenji was little more than a sleepy farming village along the highway that connected Japan’s capital with present-day Yamanashi Prefecture. Following the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, the region then saw a large influx of residents…