When visiting Tokyo, if you ever get tired of the big city there are no shortage of lovely suburban neighborhoods to visit. These neighborhoods are mostly within a short one hour train ride from Tokyo city center and make for great day trips that round out the Tokyo experience. Kichijoji is a lovely little suburb west of Tokyo, less than 20 minutes on the express train from Shibuya station. Take the Inokashira Line from Shibuya station and get off at Kichijoji station in Kichijoji.
The highlight is Inokashira Park, a large park with long walking paths surrounding a lake. The park is filled with both cherry trees and maples, making Inokashira Park an excellent choice for both flower viewing in the spring, and the autumn colors in the fall. Kichijōji once enjoyed a reputation as an artists' colony, and today it is filled with stores from little boutiques to the big department stores.
The park was incredibly enjoyable and the highlight for me was the abundance of artisans and craftsmen in the park selling their creations. The crafts were incredibly well done and I found myself purchasing something at almost every other stall. There were also many performers in the part, from a group reenacting scenes from popular music videos, to a magician doing some very impressive card tricks with a digital pack of cards.
In the West Garden of Inokashira Park, past the lawn tennis courts, is the Studio Ghibli museum, where you can admire the work of Hayao Miyazaki, the Japanese anime master behind Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro and other films. There's a big furry cat bus to play in, a giant robot on the roof, artist sketches and cels and a trippy zoetrope. The museum is geared toward kids, but Miyazaki fans of any age will enjoy it. The theater shows a short film that you can't see anywhere else.
Kichijoji was some of the most fun I've had outside of Tokyo since visiting Kamakura last year. If you have 4-6 hours and wanna do somethind outside of Tokyo I highly recommend a short trip to Kichijoji.
