Shimokitazawa curry row
Shimokitazawa, Tokyo
Shimokitazawa has turned into Tokyo's curry neighbourhood. There are dozens of independent curry shops within a few blocks, doing Japanese, keema and Sri Lankan styles.
More photos of Shimokitazawa curry row
Insider tip
Try Curry Spice Gelateria Kalpasi, which pairs spice curry with spice gelato. Or just wander and follow your nose. That works here too.
What the guides say about Shimokitazawa curry row
Shimokitazawa is Tokyo's unofficial curry capital, with a neighbourhood curry festival in autumn and a year-round curry row of spice-obsessed counters. Daniel's pick is Majan, a tiny counter with a twenty-minute queue, and he rates it the best curry he's had in Tokyo. If the queue defeats you, almost any door on the row with a handwritten spice menu will do right by you. Most counters seat ten to twenty, so go at off-hours or expect to wait.
Shimokitazawa. Vintage shops, small theatres, live music and curry row. About eight minutes from Shinjuku on an Odakyu express, and the streets make no sense the first time, which is the charm. The index sampled only 38 listings. Read the Shimokitazawa guide and treat it as a day out rather than a base.
Afternoon. Cross town for one small neighbourhood and give it everything left in the day. Shimokitazawa is the pick, a neighbourhood Daniel knows well and a short ride from his corner of Tokyo. Vintage shops by the dozen along the Shimokitazawa vintage streets, Sidewalk Coffee Roasters for the mid-afternoon reset, Shimokitazawa curry row for a late lunch chosen by smell. The Shimokitazawa neighbourhood guide explains why the area matters. The alternative is Nakameguro, where restaurants and one-off shops line a canal under cherry trees. It's at its best in blossom season and quietly good the rest of the year.
What's on near Shimokitazawa curry row
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Shimokitazawa curry row, from the weekly Tokyo events calendar.
Shimokitazawa Curry Festival
下北沢カレーフェスティバル
Station Shimokitazawa (Odakyu Line, Keio Inokashira Line), 2 min walk
Special curries from well over 100 cafes, bars, restaurants, and shops across Shimokitazawa for about two and a half weeks each October, many in mini portions so you can crawl between several in an afternoon. A stamp rally links the participating shops.
Shimokitazawa Curry Festival 2026
下北沢カレーフェスティバル
Time Varies by shop Station Shimokitazawa (Odakyu and Keio Inokashira Lines)
About 135 shops around Shimokitazawa join this 15th edition, including 110 curry restaurants and 21 dessert shops. Order a curry at a participating shop to collect a stamp, and filled stamp maps can be swapped for prizes at the reception desk. This year has a tie-in with Sega's Puyo Puyo and Sonic.
Moon Art Night Shimokitazawa
ムーンアートナイト下北沢2027
Time 15:00 to 21:00 (2026), the Senrogai lot to 21:30
Autumn moon-themed festival across Shimokitazawa: large lit outdoor works such as a 7 m moon on the Senrogai lot, with about 100 moon and rabbit themed events in shops and on the streets. The 2027 dates aren't announced yet.
Smaller local events nearby
Shimokitazawa Flea Market Market
About three days a week (the organiser's schedule). Next: Fri 23 Oct · Shimokita Senrogai Akichi (the Senrogai open lot), Shimokitazawa (Senrogai)
Flea market on the Senrogai open lot near Shimokitazawa's east exit, with used and vintage clothing, handmade accessories, old tools and ceramics. No booking needed. It may be cancelled in steady rain.
Free entry · 12:00 to 18:00 in October, 12:00 to 17:00 in November · Map · Source: Shimokitazawa Flea Market (POZO Inc.) · 下北沢フリーマーケット（SHIMOKITA FLEA MKT）
Shimokita Mitsuboshi Bazaar Market
31 Oct to 1 Nov · Shimokitazawa Station square
Food and goods fair of 69 stalls run by Showa Shinkin Bank with the Shimokitazawa shopping street federation, with regional foods, sweets and plants, and free flower seedlings at set times.
Free entry · 31 Oct 11:00 to 17:00, 1 Nov 10:00 to 17:00 · Map · Source: Shimokita Mitsuboshi Bazaar 2026 office (Showa Shinkin Bank) · シモキタ三ツ星バザール2026
Live music nearby
Nearby
Around Shimokitazawa
Vintage shops, live music, and the best curry in Tokyo
Step out of the south exit and the city changes register. The lanes are narrow and winding, second-hand clothing racks spill onto the street, and the live houses look untouched since the eighties. Daniel's own Tokyo neighbourhood, Sasazuka, is a short train ride away. You don't need a plan here, but the places below are the ones you'll come back for.
Shimokitazawa has 11 places on the Roam Tokyo map: 4 bars, 3 restaurants, 2 cafes and 2 shops. Read the Shimokitazawa guide.
From the blog
Good to know
- How do I get to Shimokitazawa curry row?
- The nearest station is Shimokitazawa (Odakyu / Keio). Shimokitazawa curry row is in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo.
- How much does Shimokitazawa curry row cost?
- Shimokitazawa curry row is cheap, marked ¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Shimokitazawa curry row?
- Plan for 1 hour.
- When is the best time to visit Shimokitazawa curry row?
- Lunch.
Stay near Shimokitazawa curry row
Browse live availability and compare prices around Shimokitazawa.
Median US$201 a night across 38 listings within 1.8 km for a two-night stay a month out, sampled 20 October 2026. Cheapest quarter under US$155. See the weekly index for every neighbourhood.
See hotels near Shimokitazawa curry row on Booking.comPrices are for the night of Saturday 24 October. You can change the dates on Booking.com. If you book, Roam Tokyo earns a small commission from Stay22 at no extra cost to you.