Nerima Ward – Tokyo's Residential Paradise
Nerima Ward is one of Tokyos safest wards, offering a serene escape from the citys hustle and bustle. The areas greenery includes sprawling Hikarigaoka Park, perfect for picnics, and Shakujii Park, a pond-filled oasis with sawtooth oaks and konara oaks.
The architects behind this sleek home in the ward sought to create a generous space surrounded by light and nature. 1. Nerima Station
In the grand scheme of Tokyos 23 wards, Nerima often gets overlooked. Its quiet, residential feel is one of its major selling points, but it also lacks some of the more obvious urban charms you find elsewhere in town. This makes it an ideal place to stay for those looking for a more relaxed vacation. 不動産 練馬区
As far as transportation is concerned, the Nerima Station is a busy hub that links downtown Tokyo with its western suburbs. During peak hour, expect large crowds to board trains going in and out of the station. The Seibu Ikebukuro Line runs straight from the business towers of Ikebukuro to Tokorozawa and Hanno in Saitama Prefecture.
At the second floor North Exit, you can purchase a Suica card to use for all forms of public transport in the area. Once you exit, the station is a surprisingly spacious area with benches, plenty of space to walk around and even a small park centered on the Nerima Bunka Center or the Nerima Culture Hall. This is where multiple events and activities take place for local residents but are open to the general public as well. 2. Nerima City
Nerima Ward, one of Tokyos 23 special wards, is known for its residential feel. The ward isn’t full of the glitz and glamour of Shinjuku or Ginza, but it has a good selection of local shopping and restaurants, plus a lot of green space.
A stroll through the neighborhood reveals pockets of fresh air in community parks, vegetable gardens and grape vineyards. The most surprising discovery was a garden cafe where vines grow up a two-story building, creating the illusion that you are eating outside in a private green garden.
Another surprise was a new build designed by Stockholm-based architects and built on a compact 100 sq m plot of land on the edge of town, surrounded by a rich garden. The home, named Nerima House, was a finalist in the prestigious International Green Building Award and provides a peaceful retreat within a dense urban setting. It is an exemplary example of how a small amount of land can yield big rewards when it comes to green design and living. 3. Nerima City Office
Away from the glitz of Shinjuku and Shibuya, Nerima City Ward is a quiet, family friendly neighborhood that’s the birthplace of anime. The neighborhood is home to multiple studios and has become a tourist attraction for its anime heritage, but the real highlight of Nerima City is its parks and gardens.
The largest park in the area is the sprawling Hikarigaoka Park, a picnic spot with wide open lawns and rows of cherry trees that bloom in spring. There’s also Shakujii Park, a green park with sawtooth oaks and konara oaks lining the walkways around two ponds full of water lilies and irises.
From the city office building observation lobbies on the 20th floor, visitors can enjoy a view of Mt. Fuji and Tokyo Skytree. There is also a NERIMARU mascot that greets visitors and shows them popular sites around the neighborhood. 4. Nerima City Office Building
The Nerima City Office Building is a beautiful, modern structure with stunning views of Tokyo. It was built in collaboration with Ipswich City Council to commemorate a Sister City relationship between the two cities.
A beautiful blend of tradition and quiet modernity, Nerima City is home to a number of cultural sights. One of the most popular is the Senso-ji temple (Qian Cao Si), dedicated to bodhisattva Kannon.
It is a place of peace and tranquility where visitors can feel nature and calm their spirit. Its philosophy is to inspire “seijaku” – stillness and seclusion. The garden features pebbles inspired by fish scales, waterfalls that connect land and sea and the simplicity of form integral to Japanese gardens.
Unlike other major central areas, Nakano ward is a neighborhood that is more residential in nature with many quaint houses. Yet, it also boasts a range of restaurants and izakaya in its scenic Fureai Road and the lively shopping street of Nakano Broadway. Its biggest claim to fame, however, is that it’s the birthplace of Japanese animation production. 5. Chuo Street
Chuo is home to a full menu of accommodations from budget hotels to traditional ryokan. From the luxury Ginza Capital Hotel to the Millennium Mitsui Garden Hotel in the heart of Nihonbashi, a stay in this neighborhood will allow you to explore some of Tokyo’s busiest shopping streets on foot.
The main shopping street of this area is known as Chuo Dori and is lined with department stores and high-street brands popular both inside and outside Japan. For a more laid-back experience, visit on weekend afternoons, when the street is closed to automobile traffic and becomes a large pedestrian zone.
Nerima is also dotted with parks, community gardens and grape vineyards. Meandering past these green spaces gets you to Garden Square, a beautiful secret garden that is one of the area’s most relaxing hideaways. This space is surrounded by residences and has vines climbing up two stories of walls, providing an escape from the hustle and bustle that can be found elsewhere in the city. 6. Garden Square
Despite its lack of shopping and fashion, Nerima ward offers many hidden gems that make it one of the best places to live in Tokyo. The district trades the glitz and glamour of other major commercial centers for a wide variety of local shops, fresh air, and greenery.
For example, a recent residential build by Swedish architects Elding Oscarson is surrounded by 35-year old gardens, making it feel like a green oasis. The design blends Scandinavian minimalism with Japanese sensibility and tactility to create a space that feels both modern and welcoming.
The nearby Ebisu Station is a great hub for accessing all of Tokyos top destinations, as it is served by both the JR Yamanote Line and the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line. The neighborhood is also a book lover’s paradise, boasting about 160 secondhand bookstores.
The area is also home to one of the largest mega-onsen bathing complexes in the city, Niwa no Yu, which is split into male and female onsens as well as a pool and outdoor jacuzzis. A trip here can cost anywhere from 3,000 to 8,000 yen for entrance depending on the day and season. 7. Oizumi Anime Gate
GATE is a fantasy anime with an interesting premise: A stargate-like portal to another world opens in the middle of downtown Tokyo and a horde of medieval army soldiers and monsters start attacking civilians. To deal with this, the Japanese Self Defense Force (JGSDF) deploys modern troops and their advanced equipment. Protagonist Youji Itami, a JGSDF soldier who just so happens to be an otaku, is dispatched to establish contact with the invaders on the other side of the gate.
Opened in 2015, this pedestrian deck outside the north exit of Oizumi Gakuen Station is a symbol of Nerima Ward’s pride to be Japan’s “Anime City Ichiban” (“Number One City for Anime [Production]”). It features life-sized bronze statues of famous anime characters like Astro Boy, Lum from Urusei Yatsura, Maetel and Tetsuro Hoshino of Galaxy Express 999 and Joe Yabuki of Ashita no Joe.
The deck also features a photo wall and a chronology of the development of Nerima’s animation industry. It may be a bit off the beaten track for most tourists, but it’s well worth a visit for anime fans! 8. Chihiro Art Museum
Nerima is not as popular as other central Tokyo districts, but its quiet, green residential areas are comfortable and affordable. Just a 10-minute train ride from Shinjuku and Ikebukuro, it’s a great base for families with young children or anyone who wants to avoid the crowds.
Nerimo is home to a wide variety of restaurants and shops. While it’s a bit more modest than its bigger city-in-a-city neighbours, it’s full of hidden gems that make it well worth a visit.
The Toshimaen Amusement Park is one of Tokyo’s most classic attractions, and it’s a wonderful spot for hanami (cherry blossom viewing). There are also plenty of places to explore in the area, including Shakujii Koen Park – a wilderness park with ponds and forest that offers a welcome escape from the cityscape.