Kichijoji is 15 minutes from Shinjuku Station or 28 minutes from Tokyo Station.
Most tourists travel to Kichijoji for the Ghibli Museum ( to be honest, that is not my thing BUT if it IS yours, be warned, you will need to book months in advance.)
But on the other side of the same park is this gorgeous area to ride the swan boats! Highly recommend!!!
Inokashira Park is in the quaint and trendy area that is Kichioji. It’s such a lovely green space to visit on a sunny day. The highlight for my kids is always the swan paddleboats. (Non-highlight is the zoo with the tiny cages for animals so, personally, I prefer not to enter.)
A swan pedal boat costs 700 yen for 30 minutes. (Purchase tickets on the pier at the ticket vending machine) Other row boats and pedal boats also available for hire. Life jackets are not compulsory (but please, please ask for them for children – just in case!)
The Studio Ghibli Museum is also located in the park if you have an interest in Japanese animation. Please note that, if you’re looking for book the Ghibli Museum, tickets need to be purchased on the 10th – the month before you want to go at 10am Japan time. ie. if you want to go in May – you will need to be online to book on April 10th at 10am.
The Curry Rice* at this little cafe near the Shrine (edge of the pond) is sooooo good! They are famous for their home-made curry rice here and, as they have outdoor seating available, it’s a gorgeous place to just take in the green. The curry is not vegetarian.
*Incase you’re not familiar, Japanese curry is more like a stew or casserole than curry and when it is spicy it more because it is “full of spices” than “chilli spicy” (if you get what I mean.) Curry Rice is eaten in almost every home in Japan as an easy go – to meal and everyone has their own secret ingredient to making their curry extra yummy – ask around! Some people like to add some apple, others like to throw in tomatoes or honey.
1-18-31 GOTENYAMA, MUSASHINO-SHI
武蔵野市御殿山1-18-31
BOAT TIMES VARY WITH EACH MONTH. HERE ARE THOSE TIMES. (REGARDLESS OF THE SEASON THEY SEEM TO ALWAYS BE OPERATING BETWEEN 10AM – 4:30PM)BOATS ARE CLOSED ON WEDNESDAYS DECEMBER – FEBRUARY
If you love retro parks and playgrounds like I do you will LOVE my Tokyo retro parks post.
AOYAMA FLOWER MARKET TEA HOUSE
Another idea is Aoyama Flower Market Tea House. This florist/cafe is so amazingly beautiful. You’ll want to take photos of everything.
The food is, at meal times, is quite …simple. The menu is constantly changing with the seasons but is almost always pasta and sandwiches. For this reason, I think it’s best to save this place for a cup of tea or a cocktail and a piece of cake. But that’s just me.
The food is okay but not the highlight.
Flowers are sold by the stem and are beautiful but a little bit expensive. There are small bouquets wrapped in brown paper near the cash register if you’re interested in a stunning memento.
If you know flowers or just really love flowers – you NEED to come here.
There are other Aoyama Tea Houses in Aoyama and Akasaka but the Kichijoji option always has the shortest wait to get in.
Please note that the following photos are from the Aoyama store – but the menu is the same and the interior is a similar vibe.
AOYAMA FLOWER MARKET TEA HOUSE, KICHIJOJI STORE
1-1-24 KICHIJOJI-MINAMI-CHO, MUSASHINO
OPEN 1oAM-9PM
WEBSITE
YAKINIKU TORAJI, BBQ AT YOUR OWN TABLE RESTAURANT
Yakiniku Toraji, Kichijoji branch, welcomes families and also has an English menu. The restaurant is 3 mins walk from the North Exit of Kichijoji Station and 20 mins walk from the Ghibli Museum (9 mins, 900 yen in a cab from the museum) This restaurant is non-smoking. Budget here for lunch is 2000 yen or more like 6000 yen per person at dinner time. Yakiniku Toraji accepts most major credit cards.
YAKINIKU TORAJI
武蔵野市吉祥寺本町1-8-21
1-8-21 HONMACHI, KICHIJOJI, MUSASHINO
OPEN WEEKDAYS 5PM-11PM
OPEN WEEKENDS 11:30AM-3PM & 5PM-11PM
SHIROHIGE’S CREAM PUFF FACTORY, KICHIJOJI
This cafe is 4 mins walk from the South Exit of Kichijoji Station. It is 22 mins walk from the Ghibli Museum ( or 13 mins/ 1200 yen in a cab.) The cream inside the cream puff comes in a few flavours. Many themed cafe food options don’t taste that great but these are photogenic AND so yummy!
Please note that this shop is CASH ONLY.
武蔵野市吉祥寺南町2-7-5
2-7-5 MINAMI-CHO, KICHIJOJI, MUSASHINO
OPEN MON, WED, FRI, SAT & SUN 11AM-6PM
OPEN THURS 11AM-5PM
CLOSED TUESDAYS
And if you feel like eating Yakitori (chicken skewers) I recommend heading to the Kichijoji branch of Ore no Yakitori. This restaurant is non-smoking restaurant (although they have a designated smoking area outside of the restaurant – it is not undercover though.) Ore no Yakitori have an english menu. I recommend making a reservation here before visiting to make sure you can get a table for your family. You can see the full Ore no Yakitori menu here. Children are welcome here but there are no high chairs and no baby change facilities here. Please note that you will need to take the stairs to get to table seating here. This restaurant is 3 mins walk from Kichijoji Station via the Koen-guchi (Park Exit) gate. To get here from the Ghibli Museum, best to take a cab (6 mins, approx 750 yen) or you can walk for 15 mins.
ORE NO YAKITORI, KICHIJOJI
1-1-10 KICHIJOJI MINAMI-CHO, MUSASHINO (sometimes google maps doesn’t find this restaurant by name so best to put in the address)
OPEN WEEKDAYS 4PM-11PM (LAST ORDERS 10PM)
OPEN WEEKENDS 11:30AM-11PM (LAST ORDERS 10PM) *CLOSES AT 10PM ON SUNDAYS*
Village Vanguard Diner is a burger joint with a branch in this area. You can see the Village Vanguarg menu here. They also have a kids menu and space to store a stroller while you dine. Village Vanguard accepts most major credit cards. This restaurant is 6 mins walk from Kichijoji Station and 15 mins walk (or 7 mins in cab, approx 800 yen) from the Ghibli Museum.
*There is also a Village Vanguard Diner (smaller version) inside Parco Department Store in Kichijoji.
VILLAGE VANGUARD DINER, KICHIJOJI
武蔵野市吉祥寺本町2-20-1 ＴＹビル ２Ｆ
2ND FLOOR, TY BUILDING, 2-20-1 HONMACHI, KICHIJOJI, MUSASHINO
OPEN EVERYDAY 11AM-10PM (LAST ORDERS 9PM)
CLOSED / LIMITED HOURS OVER THE NEW YEAR’S PERIOD
And if you’re looking for a Dean & Deluca, there is one on the ground floor of Atre Department Store here. It is the small grocery store Dean & Deluca – no sit-down cafe option. Open 10AM-9PM.
And for a proper sit down lunch I recommend Cafe Rigoletto. Their lunch menu is here and click here for the Cafe Rigoletto dinner menu. In the evenings they even serve a large range of tapas for 500 yen per option. Please note that there is a 350 yen seating charge per person after 5pm and if you arrive after 10pm, a 10% surcharge will be added to your bill. Also, please note that, children must be at least school age (6+) to dine here and you will need to let staff know their age when making a booking.
Most major credit cards accepted here. Staff at this restaurant speak English very well.
The entire restaurant is non-smoking. I would expect to pay around 1500 yen per adult for lunch and 3000 yen for dinner.
This restaurant is 7 mins walk from Kichijoji Station.
CAFE RIGOLETTO, KICHIJOJI
武蔵野市吉祥寺本町２-14-25 吉祥寺第２マーブルビル 1Ｆ・2Ｆ
1&2ND FLOORS KICHIJOJI DAI-NI MARBLE BUILDING, 2-14-25 KICHIJOJI HONMACHI, MUSASHINO
OPEN EVERYDAY 11AM-11:30PM ( UNTIL 1AM ON WEEKENDS)
LUNCH MENU AVAILABLE 11AM-3PM
For a fun and casual lunch or dinner option, I recommend Kushikatsu restaurant Kushikatsu Tanaka. This restaurant is entirely non-smoking. This is a walk-in restaurant only. Kushikatsu means that most of the meat and vegetables are fried and served on skewers – this is great for kids who want to try some new foods with zero pressure. This restaurant can get rowdy but in a good way. Please note that this restaurant is cash only. They have an English menu here.
This casual pub-style restaurant is 1 min walk from Kichijoji Station.
KUSHIKATSU TANAKA, KICHIJOJI
吉祥寺南町1-3-3 吉祥寺南口ビル 2F
SECOND FLOOR, KICHIJOJI MINAMIGUCHI BUILDING, 1-3-3 MINAMI-CHO, KICHIJOJI
OPEN MIDDAY -2AM
And if you’re a fan of Japanese “Omurice” ( Omelette with a gooey centre served on rice) I highly recommend a cafe that is 4 minutes walk from Kichijoji Station called Cafe Bloomoon for lunch.
I recommend ordering the cheesy omurice set where it comes out with salad, a drink and a dessert for only 1000 yen.
This restaurant only accepts cash.
Smoking is allowed at the counter only during lunchtime but most spots at dinner.
They serve vegetarian options.
CAFE BLOOMOON
武蔵野市吉祥寺本町1-30-16 加藤ビル 2F
2F KATOU BUILDING, 1-30-16 HONMACHI, KICHIJOJI, MUSASHINO-SHI
OPEN FOR LUNCH 12PM-3PM
OPEN FOR DINNER 5:30PM-MIDNIGHT
CLOSED ON MONDAYS
If you’re looking for outdoor gear or equipment for climbing Mt Fuji, while you’re here, I recommend checking out a second hand hiking shop called Maunga.
