ShimokitazawaA walk through the subculture town where Edo and the present intersect

Japan Travel Samurai x "Japanese and People's Exchange Chitose" project "Japanese Walk". This time, I enjoyed a Japanese walk in Shimokitazawa with three members of "Japanese and People's Exchange Chitose". The members are the familiar Japanese walk trio of Kaburagi-san, Shimada-san, and Morinaka-san.

What is Shimokitazawa, the town of subculture?

Located in the northeastern part of Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, Shimokitazawa is not technically a place name, but rather refers to the area around Shimokitazawa Station on the Odakyu Odawara Line and Keio Inokashira Line. The area is called Kitazawa in Setagaya Ward, located on the north side of the Musashino Plateau, and was named "Kitazawa" because of the many streams. It is well-connected by public transport, being within 10 minutes of Shibuya and Shinjuku, and is a thriving commercial area.

Shimokitazawa is famous for its subcultures of second-hand clothing, music, and theater. There are said to be around 200 second-hand clothing stores, and it is popular both domestically and internationally as one of Japan's leading meccas for second-hand clothing. Shimokitazawa originally started as a black market established after World War II, and eventually developed into a commercial area. It became known as a second-hand clothing town due to the boom in the 1990s.

Around the same time, musicians and actors began to perform in Shimokitazawa, and small theaters and live music venues sprang up. Shimokitazawa continues to be known as a "town of music" and a "town of theater" to this day.

Shimokitazawa, where redevelopment is progressing

The starting point for a Japanese stroll in Shimokitazawa is, of course, Shimokitazawa Station. Since 2019, redevelopment projects have been underway in Shimokitazawa and the surrounding area, and the station has also been renovated. The group begins their walk, surprised at how much nicer it has become than before. As they walk down the slope of Shimokitazawa South Exit Shopping Street, the main street where an old-fashioned atmosphere still remains and where signs for second-hand clothing stores stand out, the atmosphere gradually becomes more calm.

Moriganji Temple, an ancient temple with ties to the Tokugawa family

About a 10-minute walk from the station, we arrived at Moriganji, an ancient Jodo sect temple with ties to the Tokugawa clan. Officially known as Hachimanyama Jokoin Moriganji, it was built in 1608 as a place to store the memorial tablet of Tokugawa Ieyasu's second son, Yuki Hideyasu. When Hideyasu realized he was near death due to illness in his domain of Echizen (present-day Fukui Prefecture), he requested that a temple be built in Edo after his death as a place to store his memorial tablet. The elderly Monk Mansei entrusted his will to his disciple, Shoyo Sonkaku, and Moriganji was built at this location.

The principal image of the temple is Amida Nyorai, who is enshrined in the main hall as the "Amida Triad" along with the attendant Kannon Bodhisattva and Seishi Bodhisattva. Hideyasu's memorial tablet is placed in a cabinet at the base of the triad.

As this temple is associated with the Tokugawa family, the building features the three-leaf hollyhock crest. Until the beginning of the Showa era, the descendants of the Matsudaira family would visit the temple once a year, and the temple would treat them to lacquerware bearing the hollyhock crest.

During the Edo period, Moriganji was also famous as a temple for acupuncture and moxibustion, and there is a sign at the entrance that reads "Awashima no Moxibustion." You might wonder why acupuncture and moxibustion, but this is because of the "Awashima-sama" deity enshrined at the temple.

There are various theories about who Awashima-sama is, but it is believed to be Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto, and is worshipped as a guardian deity who brings blessings to women, such as for gynecological diseases and safe childbirth. The main shrine is Awashima Shrine in Kada, Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture.

The first head priest, Seiyo Sonkaku, was from Kishu (Wakayama Prefecture). When he was suffering from chronic back pain, Awashima appeared to him in a dream and bestowed upon him the secret teachings of acupuncture and moxibustion. The priest immediately tried the treatment himself, and his back pain was completely cured as if by magic! As a result, he applied to Awashima Shrine to invite Awashima and built the Awashima Hall. After that, Moriganji became famous as a place for moxibustion treatment, and needle memorial services began to be held there. There is still a needle mound there, and needle memorial services are held on December 8th.

Other highlights include the Fudo Hall and Enma Hall, which enshrines Acala and King Enma, and a large ginkgo tree that is over 400 years old and has been there since the temple was founded.

Kitazawa Hachiman Shrine, which has existed since the Sengoku period

A short walk from Moriganji Temple is Kitazawa Hachiman Shrine, which was established by Kira Yoriyasu, the lord of Setagaya Castle, as a guardian of the castle's evil direction. Its history is older than Moriganji Temple, and it is said to have been founded during the Bunmei era (1469-1484).

The Kira clan ruled over seven areas with the character "zawa" (sawa) in their names, including Kitazawa and Umabikizawa, and enshrined Hachiman in each of them. For this reason, the area was known as "Setagaya Nanasawa Hachihachiman," and Kitazawa Hachiman Shrine was especially revered as the "only one of the Nanasawa Hachisha, Sho-Hachiman Shrine."

The main deities are Emperor Ojin, Himegami, Empress Jingu, and Emperor Nintoku. Other shrines enshrined within the grounds include the ujigami, Benten, and various Inari shrines. The ujigami shrine is the old main hall built in the Edo period. The current main hall was built in 1978.

Also, within the shrine grounds is the Kagura Hall, which was built in 1893 and remodeled in 2004, and is modeled after the Kagura Hall at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura. During the Kitazawa Hachimangu Festival in September, gorgeous shrine maiden dances, Kagura, and gagaku are performed. The Kitazawa Hachimangu Festival is the largest festival in the Shimokitazawa area, and has been selected as one of the Setagaya Hakkei as the "Kitazawa Hachiman Autumn Festival."

Malasada specialty store "THE MALASADA TOKYO Shimokitazawa store"

After touring the shrines and temples, we decided to take a break with something sweet. So the walking team returned to Shimokitazawa South Exit Shopping Street and visited "THE MALASADA TOKYO Shimokitazawa Branch." This is a specialty store for "malasadas," a type of sweet found in Hawaii. The stylish exterior of the store is very impressive.

Malasadas are fried doughnuts that originated in Portugal and are eaten with a dusting of powdered sugar and cinnamon. They are usually without a hole or filling, but recently they have also been available with fillings.

This time, we chose the classic plain and cinnamon, as well as the old-fashioned chocolate and strawberry flavors that are available in limited quantities. We enjoyed the fluffy malasadas, the satisfying chocolate, and the sweet and sour strawberries.

A peek at new spots: Mikan Shimokita, Shimokita Railway Street...

Next, we head back to Shimokitazawa Station and take a peek at Mikan Shimokita, a commercial facility located under the elevated tracks of the Keio Inokashira Line that opened in 2022. The complex, which houses a restaurant, cafe, shared lounge, and co-working space, is one of the new iconic spots of Shimokitazawa, and just looking at it makes me excited.

Next, we headed to Shimokita Railway Street, which opened in 2020 on the former site of the Odakyu Line tracks. The 1.7km-long track was vacant when the Odakyu Odawara Line between Higashi-Kitazawa Station and Setagaya-Daita Station went underground, redeveloping the area and housing a variety of facilities, including a shopping street, a complex, an urban hotel, and a nursery school.

The Shimokita Line Street Vacant Lot opened in 2019. It is an area where events and pop-up kitchens can be held, and there are food trucks, so it is crowded with people during events.

At the "Shimokita Railroad Vacant Lot," the group enjoyed a meal from the food trucks lined up in a row. At "Harding's Caribbean Kitchen Truck," we enjoyed delicious Caribbean dishes such as Jamaican dumplings, pepper shrimp, and jerk chicken. In addition, various food trucks such as "Udon Ni Waki" regularly set up shop, so it's recommended if you want a quick meal from a food truck.

【Today's walking course】

Shimokitazawa Station → Moriganji Temple → Kitazawa Hachiman Shrine → THE MALASADA TOKYO Shimokitazawa Store → Mikan Shimokita → Shimokita Railway Street and Shimokita Railway Street Vacant Lot

[Spots visited this time]

"Shinganji Temple" 3-27-1 Daizawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
"Kitazawa Hachiman Shrine" 3-25-3 Daizawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
"THE MALASADA TOKYO Shimokitazawa store" 5-36-17 Daizawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
"Mikan Shimokita" 2-11-15 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
"Shimokita Line Street and Shimokita Line Street Vacant Lot" Near Kitazawa 2-33-12, Setagaya Ward, Tokyo Next to the Shimokitazawa Police Box