Sugamo is a low-key, traditional neighborhood in Toshima ward, northern Tokyo, long popular with older Japanese residents who come to shop, pray, and eat along its historic covered arcade. Often called Obaachan no Harajuku—Grandma’s Harajuku—the area offers a genuinely local slice of Tokyo life that contrasts sharply with the city’s trendier districts.
What is Sugamo known for?
Sugamo is best known for Jizo-dori, a roughly 800-meter covered shopping street running from Sugamo Station toward Kogan-ji temple, lined with shops selling traditional Japanese sweets, red underwear said to bring good health, herbal remedies, and religious goods catering predominantly to elderly shoppers. The red undergarments—sold by several competing shops along the arcade—are a signature souvenir tied to the local belief that red wards off illness and bad luck for older people.
What are the best things to do in Sugamo?
The top activity is walking the full length of Jizo-dori, stopping at Kogan-ji temple to rub the Togenuki Jizo statue for healing—visitors queue to polish the specific body part that ails them with a cloth. Beyond the temple, the street itself rewards slow exploration.
- Rub the Togenuki Jizo statue at Kogan-ji temple for good health
- Browse red-underwear and health-goods shops along Jizo-dori
- Try salt-flavored daifuku mochi from Maruji confectionery on Jizo-dori
- Visit Koganji’s courtyard on the 4th, 14th, or 24th of the month, when a market draws large crowds
- Walk south toward Shin-Sugamo to see the quieter residential backstreets
Where to eat in Sugamo?
Sugamo’s food scene centers on traditional Japanese street snacks and set-meal restaurants along and just off Jizo-dori, with standout items including salt daifuku (shio daifuku), sembei rice crackers, and simple teishoku lunch sets at local diners. Maruji is the most famous seller of shio daifuku on the street, regularly drawing a queue outside its shopfront.
- Shio daifuku (salt sweet-rice-cake) from Maruji on Jizo-dori
- Sembei (rice crackers) from multiple vendors along the arcade
- Traditional teishoku set meals at local restaurants near Sugamo Station
- Oden and Japanese comfort food at small eateries flanking the covered arcade
How do you get to Sugamo?
Sugamo is served directly by two rail lines—the JR Yamanote Line at Sugamo Station and the Toei Mita Line (subway) at Sugamo Station—making it accessible from central Tokyo in under 20 minutes from major hubs like Shinjuku or Ikebukuro. The Jizo-dori entrance is a two-minute walk from the station’s south exit.
- JR Yamanote Line: Sugamo Station (direct from Shinjuku ~15 min, Ikebukuro ~4 min)
- Toei Mita Line (subway): Sugamo Station
- Ikebukuro Station is one stop away and offers extensive transfer options
Where are the best photography spots in Sugamo?
The photogenic heart of Sugamo is the Jizo-dori covered arcade itself, especially the stretch in front of Kogan-ji temple gate where red lanterns, temple architecture, and crowds of elderly shoppers create layered, colorful compositions. Early morning light on market days (4th, 14th, 24th) offers the richest scenes.
- Kogan-ji temple gate and main hall facade
- Jizo-dori arcade entrance torii-style signage near Sugamo Station
- Red-lantern decorations along the mid-section of Jizo-dori
- Kogan-ji courtyard on market days with stall vendors
When is the best time to visit Sugamo?
The 4th, 14th, and 24th of each month are the busiest and most atmospheric times to visit Sugamo, when the Kogan-ji temple market (En-nichi) operates and the full length of Jizo-dori fills with vendors and pilgrims. Weekday mornings are quieter and better for unhurried browsing, while cherry blossom season brings additional visitors to the neighborhood’s small parks.
