Okubo Area Guide

Contents

• Location
• Key Stats
• Orientation Around the Station
• Livability
• Useful Info at a Glance
• Okubo Apartments

Location

Located within Shinjuku Ward, the neighborhood of Okubo is just north of the sprawling city center of Shinjuku Station. Moving north from Okubo you’ll encounter Takadanobaba, the lively commuter/student hub. East of Okubo itself is Shin-Okubo, the current Koreatown hotspot in Tokyo. And heading west from Okubo will bring you to more residential neighborhoods between Nakano and Shinjuku.

With this geographical positioning in mind, Okubo occupies a part of Shinjuku Ward where the flashy lights of the city fade away and the streets give way to more residential, calmer living environment.

Key Stats

Average Rent in Okubo

Apartments For Rent in Okubo

Train Lines

JR/Subway/Other	Line
JR East	Chuo
JR East	Chuo-Sobu

Accessibility

Orientation Around the Station

With only one platform at this station, navigating it is very straightforward.

• The North Exit (北口) is where you’ll find a slightly wider variety of services (ATM, convenience store, bathrooms). This station also takes people to Okubo Dori Ave., the same street where you’ll find the more popular Shin-Okubo Station.
• The smaller South Exit (南口) will bring visitors closer to a few small restaurants and shops south of the station, but is probably only really used by those who live in the area.

Livability

By name, Shinjuku Ward is one of the most recognizable areas in Tokyo. If you’re looking for a neighborhood that is within this ward, but not quite smack-dab in the middle of downtown Shinjuku, then Okubo could be a spot to hone in on your apartment search. The combined convenience of the Chuo Line at Okubo Station and Yamanote Line at Shin-Okubo Station is a handy time-saver for those living in the city.

This neighborhood might be most well-known for being part of the Koreatown in Shinjuku. It’s true that there is a higher population of both Japanese nationals of Korean heritage and foreign nationals residing in the Okubo neighborhood. Combined with the variety of stores selling imported cosmetics and fashion brands, sometimes you might even forget you’re in Tokyo depending on which streets you end up in around Okubo. It’s also likely that you’ll come across lines of trend-setting youth waiting to try the latest fad cafe or fast-food gaining popularity on social media.

The more residential areas of the neighborhood are quieter and provide some distance from the lights and buzz of Shinjuku. In a nutshell, the Okubo neighborhood offers a lot of transportation convenience close to Shinjuku. And if you’re looking for something like this, you also might be interested in neighborhoods like Ochiai, Higashi-Nakano, and Hatsudai. These are all neighborhoods around 1-2 stations away from Shinjuku that have a little less through-traffic.

Eating

Okubo is often overshadowed by the popularity of it’s sibling station, Shin-Okubo. Shin-Okubo’s location on the Yamanote Line and it’s diverse, international neighborhood makeup give it a youthful and lively atmosphere. These two sides of northern Shinjuku give us a look into the many faces to Tokyo. On one hand, the glitz and glamor of Shin-Okubo shows off the pop-culture and modern side of Tokyo; which is contrasted by the more laid-back, down-to-earth atmosphere in Okubo.

For example, around Okubo Station you can find restaurants with that unmistakeable old-school Tokyo charm, such as Pasta House.

And especially around the South Exit of the station, there is a concentration of friendly, welcoming ramen shops! Walking through the streets here you might come across Noseya where the head chef whips up a mean no-broth style ramen!

Okubo itself doesn’t rank highly in terms of culinary experiences within Tokyo – but from here you’ll be able to quickly make your way to Shinjuku and the endless selection of restaurants in downtown!

Useful Info at a Glance

Supermarkets

*This is just a selection of supermarkets in the area.

Universities

Language Schools

Ward Office, Police, Library

Hospitals

*These are examples of clinics in the area.

Parks

Family-Friendly Features

Okubo Apartments

Apartments for rent near Okubo Station:

• Takadanobaba Station apartments
• Shin-Okubo Station apartments
• Higashi-Nakano Station apartments
• Nakano-Sakaue Station apartments
• Higashi-Shinjuku Station apartments
• Nishi-Shinjuku Station apartments
• Shinjuku Station apartments

Okubo is a neighborhood where you can experience a few different types of Tokyo’s environments: the trendy downtown Shinjuku buzz, the international Koreatown in Shin-Okubo, and the slightly more reserved and calmer Okubo area itself. For those looking to cut down commute times to Shinjuku, there’s a handful of stations including Okubo that give you quick, direct access to the major downtown hub, and each will have its own unique atmosphere/price range. For example, the monthly rent for a 1R studio apartment around Okubo Station can be as low as ¥50,000!

Apartments For Rent in Okubo

Where should you live in Tokyo? Check out all our Tokyo Area Guides to find the perfect place!

Lead photo: Okubo, Tokyo via iStock 1227384287 credit: krblokhin