Things you'll see in Takadanobaba, Shinjuki

What’s special about Takadanobaba? Actually, that can be quite a difficult question to answer. It’s not the heart of commerce like Shinjuku. It’s not the hip district that Shibuya is. But it is cheap! And for those going to those places, it’s also incredibly convenient when it comes to proximity by the Yamanote line.

Here are a few things you’ll encounter on Waseda-dori, the main Street in Takadanobaba.

This standing steak shop is a place where you can eat delicious cuts of beef – almost any cut you can imagine! As I am a huge fan of beef, and rather NOT a fan of pork which is much more prevalent in Japan (ie, cheaper), I love this place. I think it’s no longer a standing place – likely due to the high cost of beef, adding chairs has made the place seem more worth the high prices. Definitely recommended – but only if you have a fat wallet or are celebrating.

This 7-11 also has a seating area for people who eat there on their lunch hours. 7-11 is everywhere, and very convenient. Prices are probably 10% higher than if you went to a large, cheap grocery store, but you pay for convenience.

If you play Pachinko, these shops are where you redeem your prizes. You get little gold tokens in little boxes, which represent the money you won. Because gambling is not technically allowed in Japan, you then have to trade these for cash. While it sounds sketchy, literally thousands of people play Pachinko every day and use these booths.

An expensive bar, you can sort of tell because all the drinks they highlight are not domestic. Open only late in the evening also. Take note that if a bar advertises a lot of foreign beverages, like Smirnoff, Rum, et cetera, it will likely be more expensive than another place. However, sometimes you’re paying extra for luxuries or privacy. Most expensive bars are still only $7 to $10 per drink – but some places can be FAR more. The cheapest places are often chain izakayas, or little back-alley restaurants that have a small $3-4 seating fee, but also cheap $3-4 drinks. (We convert that to yen as about $1 = 100 yen. It fluctuates anywhere from 80yen to 120yen lately).

This is the entrance to a Pachinko place, right near Takadanobaba station. Cosmo is a common place. There are 4-5 pachinko places within walking distance of this station.

The post office, which was not open when I took this picture even though it was a Monday, because it was a national Japanese holiday. Be careful to take note of Japanese holidays, because this wasn’t a holiday that would be observed in America.

Family Mart is just another type of convenience store, similar to 7-11. There are some very common chains in Japan, depending on which part of the city or which city you’re in. The ones I see most are 7-11, Lawson, Family Mart, and Sunkus.

This fried chicken place looks good, but I’ve never tried it yet. The cups of fried chicken look interesting.

The Cantina is a “TexMex” bar, which serves “American” food. By that, they generally mean there will be hamburgers and fries on the menu – but don’t expect to get authentic burritos or tacos or anything like that; everything will be Japanized. You can get tacos, but it’s a whole lotta lettuce and cheese.

This is one of many phone shops, and it is right near the station. However if you are a tourist and you’re looking for a pre-paid SIM card, you will probably have some trouble. Most of these phone stores, especially the small ones, are not staffed with English speakers, and they also don’t want to sell you a temporary plan. Their focus is on their main business, and that is subscription based cellphone/data customers.

This is a grocery store chain. There are about 3-4 grocery stores within very short walking distance of Takadanobaba-eki (station).

This is the view you can see as you’re walking down Waseda-dori. Waseda-dori simply means Waseda street. You might be familiar with Takashita-dori in Harajuku – which just means Takashita-street. Waseda-dori is the main street in Takadanobaba, so you should become familiar with it and the many many shops along this street.

Tomod’s is a drugstore! Drugstores are interesting in Japan, because they’re the only places you can get asprin, et cetera. It’s not found at just a random convenience store or walmart type store. If you ask for help, only certain employees with special training are technically allowed to help you when it comes to medicines and stuff like that.

This is the entrance to the Tozai subway station. There are several entrances in Takadanobaba to this subway line. The Tozai line can be very convenient depending on where you want to go.

Various shops near the station, I believe one of these is a very inexpensive chicken place – I will be checking soon.

These signs are for apartment rental companies. However you have to have residency to get one, which means you have to be here a really long time. No apartment rental company is going to rent an apartment for less than a year, from what I have seen and heard, which is why staying in Tokyo for a short amount of time can be very expensive.

Why Takadanobaba?

We stay here simply because it’s quite cheap, and never too incredibly busy. Also because Waseda University is nearby, you sometimes see a lot of interesting University students, and people are more accustomed to the loudness. Sometimes staying closer to other areas can be fun. For example, Shinjuku station is a hub of commerce. Shibuya can be a hub of parties and culture. But Takadanobaba has its upsides, as it is very convenient to all those places, without all the crowds and noise.