Vogue Magazine has made a list of the “Fifteen Coolest Neighborhoods in the World“.
(It’s here.)
And they ranked a trendy neighborhood in Tokyo as the coolest in the world.
According to Vogue, the fifteen coolest neighborhoods in the world are:
15. Dashanzi, Beijing, China
14. Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
13. Hackney, London, UK
12. Silver Lake, Los Angeles, USA
11. Fitzroy, Melbourne, Australia
10. Zona Rosa & La Condesa, Mexico City, Mexico
9. Wynwood, Miami, USA
8. Brera, Milan, Italy
7. Bushwick, New York City, USA
6. Canal Saint Martin, Paris, France
5. Centro, Sao Paulo, Brazil
4. Tiong Bahru, Singapore
3. Sodermalm, Stockholm, Sweden
2. West Queen West, Toronto, Canada
1. 東京都下北沢 (Shimo-Kitazawa, Tokyo, Japan)
I have been to Shimo-Kitazawa many times. It’s a nice area, so I was happy to see it listed as the world’s coolest neighborhood.
I don’t read Vogue magazine…I found out about this ranking because it was mentioned on a Japanese TV morning show that I watch.
A picture that I took of a storefront in 下北沢 (Shimo-Kitazawa, Tokyo).
Have you ever been to Shimo-Kitazawa?
Tokyo Five 
Beautiful post! Love it! 🙂
http://JoshuaHideki.com/
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Thanks.
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I don’t think I’ve been to this neighborhood yet, what’s so cool about it??
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It’s popular with young people because it’s trendy. It’s the stores, cafes and atmosphere that make it popular.
I like Shimo-Kitazawa well enough…but, personally, there are other parts of Tokyo that I like more.
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You were clear enough to me. I know of Motörhead and such things. But you like metal, don’t you?
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I see. Yes, Motörhead, Mötley Crüe, Queensrÿche, etc use them in their names.
And, yes, I like heavy metal a lot!
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Regrettably, while in Tokyo I never visited No 1. If you ever come to Stockholm, I can guide you to Södermalm. The dots are important!
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You didn’t see Shimo-Kitazawa when you were in Tokyo?
Well, Tokyo is very big … it’s impossible to see all of it on a holiday.
Sorry, I forgot the heavy-metal dots in the Swedish town’s name!
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Most metal clubs are in other parts of the city though.
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Sorry … I wasn’t clear.
You said that I didn’t put the dots over the letter ‘O’ in Södermalm.
I called those dots “heavy-metal dots” because many heavy-metal bands use them in their names.
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I only know two neighborhoods from that list, one is in Stockholm and it is pretty “cool” there but Berlin Kreuzberg, Nono, there must be mistake. Surely it is not as boring as the rest of Berlin but no way it belongs into the list of cool neighborhoods :p
So you recommend going to shimo-kitazawa when visiting Tokyo?
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>So you recommend going to shimo-kitazawa when visiting Tokyo?
Yes. Even before this list was published I liked that area.
And you don’t recommend Berlin Kreuzberg to visitors of Germany?
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Oh, just realized that I totally forgot to reply on this one!
I would simply not mention Berlin Kreuzberg to visitors. It is a nice place but I dont see the reason for it being in such a list 🙂
Anyways, Shimo-Kitazawa is written down on my to-do list for the future 🙂
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>Shimo-Kitazawa is written down on my to-do list for the future
When do you plan to visit Tokyo?
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I don’t ever remember going there. Where is it nearby?
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Not too far from Shinjuku.
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Oh ok. Its been so long since ive moved. I couldve pribably been there but so not remember anymore. Thanks!
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It’s not on the JR train line. And it’s quite unlike Shinjuku. You’d probably remember it.
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My friend used to take me to cool places, that gaijins normally didn’t know about. I wish we had blogs already back then. I could’ve blogged so much 🙂 So perhaps Shimo-Kitazawa was one of them. How about a new blog with more photos of it?
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>My friend used to take me to cool places, that gaijins normally didn’t know about.
Actually, Shimo-Kitazawa is well-known to foreigners. There are always many there.
But, I know what you mean…there are many parts of Japan, even Tokyo, that are popular with Japanese but unknown to most foreigners.
I like a lot of those places.
>How about a new blog with more photos of it?
Maybe. The next time I go there.
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