Buying a one-day ticket for the Setagaya Line the other day reminded me of the excitement of visiting an amusement park in my childhood. Although Sangenjaya Station, the streetcar line's terminal, is only two stops from Shibuya Station on the Den-en-toshi Line, the area along the line has a warm, nostalgic atmosphere that makes you forget you're only three kilometers from the hustle and bustle of central Shibuya. Furthermore, with the one-day ticket in hand, you feel like an explorer.
Whenever I travel by train in Japan and abroad, I feel the urge to choose my destinations in advance out of fear of getting lost. But the Setagaya Line allows for a carefree journey that can be done on the fly, since it covers a distance of only 5 kilometers and passes through 10 stations in about 18 minutes. What's more, the one-day ticket is 340 yen for adults -- about half the price of most one-day tickets sold by railway operators in Tokyo.
Mind you, this does not mean that the area is boring. Rather, it may be attracting flocks of tourists, according to the streetcar line's operator, Tokyu Corp. Almost half of all passengers use regular tickets instead of a commuter pass, despite the fact that the streetcars run in a dense residential area and pass the campuses of several universities.
Although the area is very close to major shopping areas, such as Shibuya and Shinjuku, it's home to many individual, family-run shops and restaurants.
Referring to this characteristic, Aoi Uchiyama, a junior at Showa Women's University and one of a group of students who made a map featuring shops and restaurants in the area, said: "There're shopping streets close to each station on the line and there's no mall. So many locals go shopping at these local stores and dine out at the restaurants, which helps individual businesses prosper."
Checking online reviews of restaurants and shops before your trip may help you avoid making a "wrong" choice, but it's no fun to rely too much on word of mouth. I bought a one-day ticket on three separate occasions before writing this story. Wearing jeans and a pair of sneakers and with a camera slung over my shoulder, I got on and off the streetcar and strolled the area around each station, allowing my instincts to guide me.
So now it's your turn to be an explorer. Wear clothes that are easy to walk in, grab the one-day ticket and be sure to have some cash in your pocket for the shops that don't take credit cards.
Miyanosaka: Land of 1,000 cats
Gotokuji temple is one of the biggest draws for foreign visitors to the area. More than 1,000 maneki neko beckoning cat figurines are placed at the temple as offerings to bring good luck and prosperity in business. The cat charms are available at the temple in eight sizes, with the smallest going for 300 yen and the largest 5,000 yen. Visitors either place the lucky cats at the temple after making a wish or take them home first and bring them back once their wish comes true.
Shoin-Jinja-Mae: Get serious!
Imagine you're a second-grader in elementary school choosing candy and snacks to bring on a school field trip the next day, like this boy at the Rongo Rongo dagashi cheap sweets shop. To foreigners unfamiliar with dagashi, it's a great place to fill your Instagram feed. But to many children, it's a place for serious deliberation on which of the hundreds of items to buy on a limited budget.
Wakabayashi: Share your creativity
Exhibiting your photos at a gallery is an entirely different experience from sharing them on Facebook or Instagram. The Setagaya233 rental gallery has about 100 cubbyholes for those who want to share their creations with others. You can rent a cubbyhole for 2,400 yen per month. Office workers, students and professional artists have used the facility since it opened in 2002.
Nishi-Taishido: Let's eat 'jewels'
Ichibiko cafe sells food and drinks made from Migaki-Ichigo strawberries from Yamamoto, Miyagi Prefecture. The finest examples of these "edible jewels" are said to sell for as much as 1,000 yen each. But don't worry, they can be yours at a fairly reasonable price at this cafe.
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