Yoyogi Area Guide

Contents

• Location
• Key Stats
• Orientation Around the Station
• Livability
• Short History of Yoyogi
• Useful Info at a Glance
• Yoyogi Apartments

Location

Even in the city, so close to major hubs like Shinjuku and Shibuya, it’s possible to find calm neighborhoods like Yoyogi. Yoyogi is just south of Shinjuku, and quite a bit of Nishishinjuku commercial/business district blends into the northwestern part of Yoyogi. To the east is the expansive and beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen Park. South of Yoyogi you’ll find Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park, and Harajuku. This puts Yoyogi in a location where it’s surrounded by a diverse selection of neighborhoods.

Key Stats

Average Rent in Yoyogi

Apartments For Rent in Yoyogi

Train Lines

JR/Subway/Other	Line
JR	Yamanote
JR	Chuo Line (Rapid)
JR	Chuo-Sobu Line (Local)
Toei	Oedo

Accessibility

Orientation Around the Station

The JR and Toei stations at Yoyogi Station have ever so slightly different exits. At JR Yoyogi Station you’ll find the following exits.

• Leaving the West Exit, you’ll see an intersection surrounded by low-rise buildings. This area is just south of the busy, uber-developed commercial district of Nishi-Shinjuku and is kind of a small extension of businesses and commercial property.
• If you take the East Exit, after walking through a short corridor (low overhead warning) you’ll pop out on ground level facing a Family Mart. To your left, it’ll be a short walk to get to Docomo Tower. To your right will be a really good local burger joint (Burger’s Base).
• The North Exit conveniently exits into Yoyogi Crystal Building, an office building. Across the street is a McDonald’s.

Some of the exits from the Toei subway line at Yoyogi merge with the JR Station Exits.

• Exit 1 takes you right outside the Yoyogi Seminar Main Office. Yoyogi Seminar operates a chain of cram schools in Japan.
• Exit 2 merges with JR Yoyogi Station West Exit.
• Exit 3 merges with JR Yoyogi Station North Exit.

Docomo Tower

Since it stands above the surrounding cityscape, it’s possible to orient yourself using Docomo Tower as a landmark. Completed in 2000, this tower is the fourth tallest building in Tokyo and the second tallest clock tower in the world. Despite its name, the NTT Docomo headquarters is located in the Sanno Park Tower in Nagatacho. There are offices in Docomo Tower, but it’s mainly used as storage for equipment.

Yoyogi Park

This large and expansive public park in Tokyo is a popular location for those looking for a bit of open space to stretch out. When the weather is nice, the park attracts a wide variety of visitors. It is particularly popular with those looking to take a leisurely stroll, but you’ll most likely also find a couple runners and joggers taking advantage of the wide pedestrian paths and lack of motor vehicles. Buskers and performers also come to Yoyogi Park to exhibit their talents, including musicians, magicians, and dancers.

Since it’s such a large open space, you’ll often find different events taking place here. From things like the annual Thai Festival, a flea market, and the annual LGBT pride event, there’s a wide variety of events that utilize Yoyogi Park.

Nestled between Shinjuku and Shibuya

You might forget just how close you are to the crowds and excitement of Shinjuku when you’re in the calm and peaceful streets of Yoyogi. West of Yoyogi Park is a low-rise residential area where you’ll find many apartments and homes that are very popular with families. The Yoyogi-Uehara area is an upper-middle-class area that features a mixed collection of low-rise apartments and high-rise complexes. Again, this area tends to attract more families than singles, but there are plenty of 1R, 1K, and 1LDK apartments in the area.

Eating

This residential area has a few surprises for Tokyo foodies! Tsukemen Gonokami Seisakusho is an unassuming, small noodle shop on a street just west of Shinjuku Gyoen Park. Without exception, there will be a line of people waiting to try the various tsukemen (noodle dish where the noodles and broth are served separately, and the noodles are dipped into the broth before consuming) offered by the restaurant. Mentioned earlier in this article, Burger’s Base is a great local burger shop in the area, but if you find yourself west of Yoyogi Park you might want to try Arms Burger too. FUKU Yakitori is a popular spot for grabbing a quick bite and a drink in the evening.

Livability

There’s a lot more to this neighborhood than just Yoyogi Park. The proximity to massive city centers like Shinjuku and Shibuya is a huge bonus to livability, practically putting the entirety of Tokyo at your doorstep. Even though Yoyogi is so close to these bustling hubs, you’ll feel tucked away from the buzz of the city in the residential areas.

Yoyogi-Uehara is an attractive upscale neighborhood and it enjoys a reputation as a particularly family-friendly area. Azabu Juban, Hiroo, and Roppongi are considered more accessible for international families in Tokyo, but Yoyogi-Uehara is also a livable area for those looking for a slice of Tokyo for their family. This area is very convenient for families with children attending the British School and the American School in Japan. (ASIJ).

For city mice this area fits the bill very well, blending the convenience of department stores and restaurants in Shinjuku, Harajuku, and Shibuya with open green space like Yoyogi Park and Shinjuku Gyoen Park. Since Yoyogi is just a stone’s throw away from downtown Tokyo, those who prefer a little more space between home and work, residential neighborhoods like Musashi-Sakai in west Tokyo might be more suitable. Commuter towns in Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa are also areas to consider if a bit of a commute isn’t a problem for you.

Short History of Yoyogi

The name of the area comes can be traced to an account in the Edo meisho zue (Guide to famous Edo sites), an illustrated guide to various famous locations published in the early 1800s. The author recounts the fact that there is an exceptionally large fir (momi) tree where the current Meiji Shrine East Gate exists. It is claimed that the fir tree has lived for many generations, and had been given the moniker of “Tree of Many Generations” (代々木, Yoyogi). It was rumored that the tree was so tall that those who climbed to the top could see all the way to Shinagawa Port, but no records verifying such claims exist.

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

Ward Office, Police, Library

Clinics

*These are examples of clinics in the area.

Parks

Family-Friendly Features

Yoyogi Apartments

Apartments for rent near Yoyogi Station:

• Yoyogi Station apartments
• Shinjuku Station apartments
• Minami-Shinjuku Station apartments
• Kita-Sando Station apartments
• Sangubashi Station apartments
• Sendagaya Station apartments

Yoyogi is located so close to Shinjuku and Shibuya, but doesn’t have the busy or crowded city atmosphere. Because of this, it has a reputation for being a family-friendly neighborhood within the city. It’s pretty easy to see why the area is popular just by taking a quick walk through Yoyogi-Uehara. It offers a good mix of city convenience and residential calmness that is appealing to families searching for a part of Tokyo to call home.

Apartments For Rent in Yoyogi

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