Sangenjaya Neighbourhood Guide - Tokyo's Best Kept Secret

For Tokyo creatives, Sangenjaya is at the heart of the arts scene in Tokyo. With a quirky, artsy vibe, and located at the bottom of Carrot Tower, The Setagaya Public Theatre is a must-visit for any art lover on their Tokyo tours. Considered the city's top venue for contemporary drama and dance, the theatre is home to modern nō; a stylised Japanese dance-drama, performed on a bare stage; and butoh; an avant-garde form of dance. Set in a Greek style auditorium, the theatre has 600 seats and a smaller Theatre Tram. Smaller pockets of imagination and art are constantly cropping up in the area. Seeking things to do in Sangenjaya? Check out the Sangenjaya Setagaya 233 Gallery; a kitsch, independent gallery, cafe and shop. Home to photography and contemporary art exhibitions, the space is free to enter. Find local artists presenting and selling their work, have a cup of cup of coffee in the cafe and soak up the vibe of great Tokyo creatives.

The best way to enjoy Sangenjaya is to zig-zag through the streets with no plan of action. Take a left here and a right there, open your mind and be curious to the various spots of delight; weird and wacky architecture, street shrines, colourful flowers and tasteful tea houses. Your urban adventure might take you to neighborhoods filled with small, traditional, wooden houses, strange shops such as ice stores (selling nothing but blocks of ice) or tree lined avenues. Perhaps ride the Setagaya Line; one of only two streetcars in Tokyo, the charming little tram has been around since the 1920s. At a mere 5.1km long and seemingly going almost nowhere, there’s something wonderfully pointless about the whole exercise. You will feel as if you’ve gone back to the Taisho period in summer when yukata and jinbei locals ride to nearby festivals. The station itself is a lovely spot to soak up with Edwardian style lights.