A must-see for tourists! Experience a tour of old books and exquisite Japanese curry in Jimbocho

Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. You can get there in about 15 minutes from the city center on the Toei Shinjuku Line and Hanzomon Line, and you can also walk there from Ochanomizu Station and Akihabara Station on the JR Sobu Line.

Major publishers such as SHUEISHA and SHOGAKUKAN are lined up, and it is famous as “Japan's number one secondhand bookstore district” with many bookstores dealing with valuable used books related to literature and art.

There is a database of old books on the official website.

You can search for books from around 50 stores, so if there's a book you're interested in or looking for, be sure to search for it.

Old book database

Now, did you know that along with books, Jimbocho is a fierce battleground for curry?

There are many specialty stores in Japan, such as familiar European-style curry, soup curry, and spiced Indian curry, and they are competing for high praise.

Here are 4 curry specialty stores that are particularly popular among them! Please use it as a reference for lunch and dinner along with walking around Jimbocho.

Why are there so many curry shops in Jimbocho, Tokyo?

What is often cited as the reason Jimbocho became a curry town is the theory that “curry was perfect for eating while reading a book I had just bought in one hand.”

Source

Certainly, curry is a dish you can eat quickly with just one hand. It is a theory that seems credible, but there is no basis, and it seems that it just doesn't go beyond the realm of theory.

Another thing that seems to have been big is, after all, the power of the media.

As of the 1990s, famous curry stores were gathered in Jimbocho as described above, but since media such as magazines “discovered” them after 2000, the concept that Jimbocho = curry district was clearly visualized.

Source

Healing experience in Tokyo

Surprisingly, curry was added to the image of Jimbocho = old books in early 2000.

At that time, there were already several curry shops in Jimbocho, and it seems that the media picked them up, which led to an expansion of awareness as a curry town.

So why were there many curry shops in the first place? The real reason seems to be buried in the history of Jimbocho.

Furthermore, curry shops continued to open, and as a result, it became the current curry town, Jimbocho.

Must-eat Japanese curry spots in Jimbocho

If you get lost, this is the place! European-style curry “Bondi”

　“Bondy” is the most famous curry specialty store in Jimbocho, where there is a long line on holidays.

The interior is stylish, like an exotic cafe.

There are a wide variety of beef, chicken, pork, vegetables, seafood, etc., and the curry sauce is rich and mellow! Even though it's sweet, you can feel a gentle and pleasant spiciness.

[How to get there]

Another characteristic of Bondy is that it is difficult to understand the entrance to the store. There is a sign on the road along Yasukuni Street, but there is no entrance on the front.

Cross the main street, go into a side street, and go around the back of the building, and there is a small entrance. Climb up the stairs and arrive at the entrance of the store!

If you don't like waiting for a long time, I recommend aiming for weekday nights according to theory.

Access: 1 minute walk from Jimbocho Station on the Toei Mita Line, Shinjuku Line, and Hanzomon Subway Line

77m from Jimbocho Station

Official site

The long-established store “Sumatra Curry Kyoeido” in Jimbocho

A long-established store founded in Taisho 13 (1924).

Loved by many people along with its deep history　The curry from “Sumatra Curry Kyoeido” does not use flour, so it has a smooth mouthfeel and is characterized by its bittersweet taste made by slowly frying spices.

It's a strangely delicious flavor that makes you addicted to it once you eat it.

Reminiscent of a good old Japanese diner or restaurant, the retro atmosphere of the restaurant makes you feel like you've traveled back in time.

The speed from when an order is placed per seat until the curry is served is fast!

Therefore, I think the fact that the customer turnover is good is also a point unique to Kyoeido.

Access: 1 minute walk from Jimbocho Station on the Toei Mita Line, Shinjuku Line, and Hanzomon Subway Line

128m from Jimbocho Station

Official site

“Koukanda Surugadai Store” where you can eat soup curry from Hokkaido

If you're in Jimbocho, Japan's curry battleground, you can also eat “soup curry,” which is said to have originated in Hokkaido.

The spicy, rich soup that goes well with rice contains thick ingredients such as vegetables, and is excellent to eat!

You can choose the main ingredients and spiciness, and the classic chicken and hamburg steak curry are popular!

Not only is it delicious, but it also warms the body from the core because it's just a soup. This curry is especially recommended during cold seasons such as fall and winter.

Access: 7 minute walk from JR Ochanomizu Station Ochanomizu Bridge Exit

5 minute walk from Jimbocho Station on the Toei Mita Line, Shinjuku Line, and Hanzomon Subway Line

299m from Jimbocho Station

More Information

Curry rice specialty store with many fans “Ethiopia”

“Ethiopia,” which is located in the Ochanomizu area, was a coffee and curry shop when it first opened

Now speaking of spice curry, this is it!

What,The spiciness can be selected from 0 to 70 spicy, making it an irresistible system for those who like spicy curry.

Large amounts of vegetables are simmered for a long time, and they have plenty of umami and nutrients!

It uses several kinds of spices, and some of them are also used as Chinese medicine, which are also attractive.

Therefore, even though it is curry, it has nice effects such as a refreshing aftertaste and metabolism!

Access: 3-minute walk from Jimbocho Station on the Toei Mita Line, Shinjuku Line, and Hanzomon Subway Line

303m from Jimbocho Station

Official site

The annual highlight of Jimbocho, the Tokyo Kanda Used Book Festival

If you're visiting Jimbocho, fall is definitely recommended!

The “Tokyo Famous Kanda Used Book Festival” is held every year for about 10 days from late October to early November.

It is a historic event that has continued for over 60 years since Showa 35 (1960), with venues such as the sidewalk along Jimbocho Yasukuni Street, the Iwanami venue, and the Tokyo Antiquarian Book Hall.

Many shelves are lined up outside the second-hand bookstore, and it looks like the whole city has become a bookshelf! There, you can find special books prepared for this festival.

The event period is crowded with many people, and of course the curry shops introduced here are also crowded, but if you're going sightseeing, I recommend choosing the busiest day of the year.

There is also the pleasure of being able to find old books that look like treasures.

concluding

How was it? Every store is just a short walk from Jimbocho Station, so it might be a good idea to decide which store to go to by looking at how crowded it is.

There are many tourist attractions in Tokyo.

Speaking of Japanese culture, big, and flashy towns such as Akihabara, Nakano, and Ikebukuro are famous, but I think Jimbocho can experience even deeper culture than that.

Also, all of the curries you can enjoy here are of high quality and unique!

There may be something so intense that it overturns the concept of curry you've eaten until now.

Also, Jimbocho is attractive because there are many coffee shops where you can enjoy delicious coffee to go with reading a book.

After eating curry, it is also recommended to relax and enjoy coffee.

Please add it to one of the special experiences you can only get in Japan.

Recommended healing salons around Jimbocho

HEAD CONCIERGE (head CONCIERGE Shinjuku Store)

A full-scale head spa specialty salon where a group of nationally qualified specialists lead to “ultimate sleep.”

Head Concierge is a group of specialists who have learned how to train their arms with their fingers.

A technique called the deep muscle approach, which pushes pressure points on the head, leads to ultimate sleep.

Head spas have effects such as “relieving insomnia,” “improving shoulder stiffness,” “recovering from eye strain,” and “anti-aging.”

Enjoy the ultimate head spa experience that goes beyond relaxation.

There are 10 salons, mainly in Tokyo.

Details

UREROBAS Shibuya Store (URERO BUS)

A dry head spa salon located on the 4th floor of the shopping mall “Tokyu Plaza Shibuya” in Shibuya.

This salon offers treatments that are a bit different from general head spas, with original arrangements added to methods originating in Australia.

This head spa is characterized by preparing the body from the ground up, and it is a versatile treatment that can be expected not only to take care of head and eye fatigue and concerns related to sleep, but also to lift the face and tone up the skin.

Please spend a blissful time in a space that heals all five senses.

Details

Shinjuku Relaxation Salon Sea the Night

Despite being in a good location, a 2-minute walk from Nishi-Shinjuku Station and a 7-minute walk from Shinjuku Station, it is a salon where you can forget the hustle and bustle of the city and relax both mentally and physically.

It seems that skilled therapists have a high level of skill and many repeat customers.

We offer a menu of body care (massage and relaxation), lixology (foot pressure points), dry head spa, hand care, and deep muscle oil massage to relieve painful stiffness throughout the body.

Details

repos ami (repos ami)

A private salon located in Shinjuku and Kabukicho. We offer a full body oil massage, dry head spa without water, and facial massage menus.

This salon's dry head spa treats the area around the scalp, neck, shoulders, and décolletage while lying on your back, so you can expect eye fatigue and face-reduction effects.

Oil massages use “oil,” which has a high detox effect, and it has the function of excreting toxins accumulated in the body as sweat and urine, making it ideal for detox.

Also, this oil balances the autonomic nerves and female hormones, and has the effect of increasing metabolism.

If you are suffering from disturbances in the autonomic nerves, general fatigue, body building that makes it easy to lose weight, tension, or facial distortion, please give it a try.

Details