Just four minutes from Shibuya but a full world apart, Nakameguro is a fabulous little residential area in central Tokyo. Home to wealthy celebs and regular citizens alike, it manages to be fashionable without feeling intimidating.
In Nakameguro, you can find good food and great fun within easy walking distance of your apartment, and peace and quiet when you close the door. As is typical of Tokyo, tradition meets the ultra-modern in this neighbourhood, and hidden among the back streets you'll find both sleek architecture and historical temples.
Many Tokyoites know Nakameguro mainly for its annual cherry blossom festival, during which visitors crowd both sides of the Meguro River (sometimes called the Nakameguro Canal), sipping pink champagne as the sun goes down and the sakura are lit up. But the area's selling points extend far beyond spring. Here's a quick overview of what this part of Meguro has to offer.
Nakameguro Station
The suburb is served by two important train lines in Tokyo: the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line and the Tokyu Toyoko Line. The former connects to Ginza and Ueno, while the latter takes you either in the direction of Yokohama, or Shibuya, Shinjuku-san-chome and Ikebukuro. These lines, and the others they link to, allow convenient access to the core areas of the city.
The station area is a treasure trove when it comes to dining out — cafes, restaurants and cosy little bars light up the space beneath the elevated tracks. You can find everything from curries to craft beer and cold brew, ramen, fine French, Korean and much more. The narrow streets come alive at night, catering to visitors as well as locals on their way home.
You can also find supermarkets, English-speaking medical clinics and other amenities near Nakameguro Station. There are two international kindergartens in the area.
Meguro River
The heart of Nakameguro is the river that runs through it. The Meguro River, perhaps better known as the Nakameguro Canal, wends its way towards Tokyo Bay in between streets lined with clothing boutiques, seriously cool coffee shops, live music venues, bookstores, art galleries and vibey little businesses.
A favourite for Sunday strolls all year round, the canal draws crowds come late March/early April, when the cherry blossom trees that stretch along its banks burst into bloom. For a week or two, Nakameguro provides the setting for one of Tokyo's most iconic springtime scenes.
When the petals and crowds have disappeared, regulars resume their routine of walks, punctuated by a cup of tea overlooking the water.
Art and parks
Nakameguro is where you'll find the Museum of Contemporary Sculpture, and in the broader area you can visit the Meguro Museum of Art, Tokyo. A meander through the neighbourhood will also turn up art spaces like the riverside MDP Gallery, Sato Sakura Museum and several other small spots. The narrow roads hide heaps of street art, too.
While the 'burb isn't overflowing with green spaces, there are a few small parks where you can go for that nature fix. These include the be-lawned Nakameguro Park, Meguro Sky Garden, which is a real garden situated nine stories up on top of a motorway interchange, and Saigoyama and Sugekari Park, which cross over into nearby Daikanyama.
Shrines and temples
Nakameguro is not particularly well known for its religious buildings, but it is home to Shokakuji Temple, a Buddhist space said to have been established almost 400 years ago. Just up the road, in the next neighbourhood over, there is also the expansive, inspiring Yutenji Temple.
Daikanyama
The area separating Nakameguro from Shibuya is the hipper-than-hip zone called Daikanyama. It's an easy walk, and a great place to spend the day or go for anything that can't be found in Nakameguro.
Daikanyama is all about fashion boutiques, burger bars, organic veggies, well-dressed dogs, snazzy soaps, designer book stores and artisanal chocolate. It's sophisticated — and expensive.
When it comes to finding reasonably priced housing, Nakameguro is likely to be the better bet. That said, it does take some searching.
By Carey Finn
Similar to this:
The Bluff: Yokohama's foreign streets from years gone by
All eyes on Akasaka
An overlooked area of Tokyo: Ikebukuro
