Time Out has announced its list of the world’s coolest neighborhoods, and Tokyo’s Jimbōchō has taken the top spot. Known as the city’s “book town,” Jimbōchō is full of second-hand bookstores, cozy cafes, and traditional restaurants that give it a unique old-school charm.
A perfect day in Jimbōchō starts with a hearty Japanese curry at Kitchen Nankai, a local favorite since 1966. After that, wander through over a hundred bookstores. Highlights include Isseido Booksellers with antique and foreign-language collections, Komiyama for photography books, and Nyankodo, a shop dedicated entirely to cat-themed books.
You can also stop at Takeo Paper Shop, a specialty store offering beautifully crafted Japanese stationery made from unique materials like mulberry and rice chaff.
The neighborhood is also famous for its retro-style coffee shops, known as kissa. Each one has its own personality—Milonga Nueva mixes coffee with tango music, Mafumi Coffee celebrates calligraphy, and Cafe Ataraxia plays classical music on century-old gramophones.
End your day with dinner at Ebimaru Ramen, where lobster bisque and slow-cooked pork meet springy noodles, creating one-of-a-kind ramen. Pair it with sake at Nihonshu Genka Sakagura, which offers more than 50 varieties.
With its mix of history, books, culture, and food, Jimbōchō shows why it truly deserves the title of the world’s coolest neighborhood.
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