Omotesando Area Guide

Contents

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

Location

Omotesando Station itself resides in Minato Ward, but the neighborhood and street of Omotesando seamlessly blend into parts of Shibuya City as well. Putting the pieces together geographically: the northern edge of Minato Ward is bordered by Shinjuku and Chiyoda, to the east is Chuo and Tokyo Bay, to the south lies Shinagawa, and lastly, you’ll find Shibuya to the west of Minato.

Omotesando (lit. “approaching road”) was named such because it was built as the main road leading to Meiji Shrine. Nowadays, the name is synonymous with the cutting edge of style and design in Tokyo. The area is a hub of busy activity in the upscale and luxury world of brand name apparel, and chock full of trendy, modern cafes.

Key Stats

Average Rent in Omotesando

Apartments For Rent in Omotesando

Train Lines

JR/Subway/Other	Line
Tokyo Metro	Chiyoda
Tokyo Metro	Hanzomon
Tokyo Metro	Ginza

Accessibility

Orientation Around the Station

Omotesando Station is a subway station with 10 entrances/exits. In general, the “A” exits will place you along Omotesando Road itself (A1, A2 will put you west of the Omotesando Road/Aoyama-dori intersection; A4, A5 will get you east of the intersection). And the “B” exits (in general) will place you south of this intersection.

• Exit A2 is the closest exit to Omotesando Hills. Once you exit to ground level you’ll be right next to an Apple Store.
• Exit A3 is next to Akiba Shrine and the Omotesando Police Box. Since there are some benches and space nearby, it makes for a decent spot to meet friends before heading off to your destination.
• Exits B1 and B2 will put you close to the United Nations University if you’re planning on visiting the farmer’s market held there.
• Exit A4 is technically the closest to Commune 2nd, but if you don’t mind having to cross the intersection you can exit at A3 and wait for your friends there.

Epicenter of Chic Design

Omotesando exists as an area that combines lavish with trendy. Pockets of hip, artsy communities can be found amidst the architectural marvels of name-brand stores. For instance, Commune 2nd is a popular collection of independent food carts that holds lots of art-inspired events. United Nations University holds a farmer’s market every weekend. A lot of different artisan crafts and goods can be found in the market, a great way to spend a Saturday morning.

Omotesando Hills

Omotesando Hills is a shopping plaza designed by Tadao Ando which has a very sleek and chic appearance. It fits right in with the atmosphere of Omotesando, and inside you can find a variety of high-end fashion stores and restaurants. As the seasons change there will be different seasonal events taking place here.

Brand Name Fashion Around Every Corner

The area of Omotesando is well-known for being home to practically any and every high-end, luxury fashion brand in the world. Beautifully designed buildings showcasing the latest in jewelry and fashion line the streets, and even the alleys, of Omotesando. Prada, Gucci, Dior, COACH, GIVENCHY… the list of brand names that have a foothold in Omotesando is endless. In a bright contrast to the adult-oriented luxury goods on the street, you’ll also find KIDDY LAND: a four-story toy store for all your Hello Kitty, Rilakkuma, and Snoopy needs.

Cat Street

Between Harajuku and Omotesando is a small slice of Tokyo that’s been given the moniker of Cat Street. There are many rumors as to how the street got its name: “the street is narrow like a cat’s forehead,” “there are a lot of cats in the area,” “it was named after the band, The Black Cats, when they were popular,” and so on and so forth.

If you’re just as confused as I was about the cat’s forehead thing, there is an old phrase in Japan that explains this. When somebody wants to call an area narrow or small, in Japanese they might say it’s like a “cat’s forehead” (猫の額), since (apparently) the definition of “forehead” in Japanese is the area of skin between the eyebrows and hairline. It’s hard to define whether cats have eyebrows and/or a hairline, so this sense of vagueness is captured in the phrase “cat’s forehead” in Japanese! The more you know!

Nezu Museum

This beautiful art museum exhibits collections that tend to have a close, deep connection to the history of Japan. Besides the main exhibits, you can find a cafe and a garden. The museum provides an excellent balance to the cutting-edge of contemporary modern city life in Omotesando.

Eating

There are countless options for dining when out and about in Omotesando. In particular, you can find many small, intimate cafes and restaurants which can make for romantic date nights. Or, you can visit any of the cute and trendy cafes during the day while walking around and taking in the sights. It’s a great neighborhood to just have a leisurely stroll.

Omotesando is definitely an upscale area. There’s no way around that, but you can find some surprisingly affordable and tasty spots, like Harajuku Gyoza Lou, where you can grab a quick bite before returning to walk through the glitz and glamor of the city. If I’m around this area in the evening, chances are I’m going to stop by Beer Brain for a pit-stop. It’s a very cozy, standing room only beer shack with friendly staff who enjoy talking about beer. If you’re looking for a spot to grab a coffee with a friend, LATTEST is a very cute and artsy cafe with knowledgable baristas.

Livability

Those who love city life and all the excitement that comes with it will find this neighborhood to be a great fit. There are pockets of calm and quiet here, but if you prefer some more distance between home and the city then you might want to check out more residential areas like Setagaya Ward (Futako-Tamagawa, Yoga) or west Tokyo (Kichijoji, Musashi-Sakai).

Omotesando is a popular residential neighborhood for foreigners who want to be at the center of chic, convenient, and international Tokyo. Housing options tend towards single-family homes and low-rise brand-name condominiums. Just off of Omotsando Avenue, you will find quiet residential areas: Jingu-mae (to the west) and Minami Aoyama (t0 the east) that are perfect for ex-pat families.

Omotesando is also within walking distance of Yoyogi Park, known for its many international festivals held every summer. It is also a popular with walkers, joggers, and dog-walkers and their four-legged companions year-round. The kids will also love the bicycle track where you can rent everything from tricycles to tandem bikes.

This area appeals to both singles and families since it’s in a very convenient area just outside Shibuya. Weekends might seem a little busy with everybody trying to find a seat in the popular cafes and restaurants (or with those just window shopping, as the area is a great place to just take a city walk), without it ever having the frenzied crowds of Shibuya or Shinjuku.

Although it is a very attractive area for students, the area won’t be that friendly to a student budget. However, if you’re able to find a great deal on an apartment in the area then it might be an area to consider; just don’t get your hopes up.

Useful Info at a Glance

Supermarkets

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

Gyms

*These are just examples of gyms available in the area.

Universities

Language Schools

Ward Office, Police

Clinics

*These are examples of clinics in the area.

Parks

Family-Friendly Features

Department Stores

Omotesando Apartments

Apartments for rent near Omotesando Station:

• Omotesando Station apartments
• Meiji-jingumae Station apartments
• Harajuku Station apartments
• Shibuya Station apartments
• Gaienmae Station apartments
• Nogizaka Station apartments

Average rent for properties designed for families and people on ex-pat packages (with housing allowances) are comparable to any neighborhood in Tokyo. In Omotesando, the average rent for a high-end 4-bedroom apartment or single-family home with about 200-sqm of living space or more, will start at about ¥1,300,000 ($12,000). We recommend that you work directly with an agent to find the right property for you, as average numbers may not necessarily represent what is currently available.

Even for non-ex-pat housing, average rent for apartments in the Omotesando area is undoubtedly high compared to areas further away from downtown Tokyo; but if you factor in the convenience of being located in the middle of Tokyo and the ease of having countless dining/shopping options available at your doorstep, it might be worth it to at least check out the properties for rent in the area. For example, on our site you can find 1R apartments near Omotesando for about ¥110,000 per month.

Apartments For Rent in Omotesando

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Lead photo: Scott Kouchi