Setagaya Ward Guide

Setagaya Ward spans a large amount of area (from the Tama River up to Shibuya Ward and Meguro Ward) and is well-known for being home to many of Tokyo's suburban and residential neighborhoods for those seeking a calmer side of Tokyo.

Setagaya Ward has the largest population and second largest area of Tokyo’s 23 special wards and is known primarily among foreigners as being home to upscale  residential areas that are within easy commuting distance to Shinjuku and Shibuya. Being located on the southwestern corner of the city and separated by the Tama River from Kanagawa prefecture, Setagaya geographically and symbolically separates suburban western Tokyo from the city center.

Setagaya Ward can be divided into five districts: Karasuyama, Kitagawa, Kinuta, Setagaya, and Tamagawa. The area of Setagaya is quite expansive. You’ll find almost everything here: from the hip streets of Shimo-kitazawa brimming with young creatives to the commercial complexes found near Futako-Tamagawa, where the headquarters of Rakuten is located.

Contents

Setagaya quick facts

  • Population: 908,907 (as of January 1, 2019)
  • Area: 58.08 km²
  • Density: 15,649 (/km²)
  • Population of foreign residents: 21,379 (2.4% of total population of Setagaya)
  • About 4.6% of the total resident foreigner population of the Tokyo 23 Wards lives in Setagaya.

Major Train Stations

Station Lines
Sangenjaya  Tokyu Denentoshi Line
 Tokyu Setagaya Line
Futako-Tamagawa  Tokyu Denentoshi Line
 Tokyu Oimachi Line
Shimokitazawa  Odakyu Odawara Line
 Keio Inokashira Line

Main residential neighborhoods

Setagaya Ward ranks high for

  • Popular residential ward that is within commuting distance to downtown Tokyo.
  • Many different neighborhoods within the ward with their own unique charms.
  • Neighborhoods located along the Tama River tend to have plenty of open green space for outdoor activities.

Who lives in Setagaya Ward?

  • Quite popular with international families looking for a suburban area within Tokyo.

Popular housing searches in Setagaya Ward

Location and highlights

Setagaya enjoys a reputation for being a quiet, calm and upscale residential ward. Many families live in Setagaya for the high-standard of living combined with the relatively easy commute to downtown business districts.

The main train lines serving Setagaya are the Odakyu from Shinjuku to Odawara and Keio line from Shinjuku to Mt. Takao. Also, three of the main lines that run through Setagaya (Keio Inokashira, Tokyu Toyoko, and Tokyu Denentoshi) all originate in Shibuya, one of Tokyo’s main hub stations.

While a good portion of the residential housing consists of free-standing homes, there is a selection of high-rise apartment buildings near some of the larger stations.

Setagaya is a large ward, spanning from right next to Shibuya all the way to the Tama River border adjacent to Kanagawa prefecture. There are a number of different neighborhoods to explore in this ward. Shimo-kitazawa is a hipster collective, overflowing with vintage clothing stores, cafes, and live music venues. In contrast, Futako-Tamagawa is a very family-oriented neighborhood that has department stores and shopping complexes with name brand luxury goods and classy dining establishments. The Kinuta neighborhood is as suburban as it gets within Tokyo, offering a great balance of city conveniences and residential calmness.

Apartments for Rent in Setagaya Ward

Properties for Sale in Setagaya Ward

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