19 best things to do in Sangenjaya: restaurants, cafés, bars and attractions

There’s nothing like a cold, juicy IPA to quench your thirst after a long week. At this hip space three minutes from Sangenjaya Station, you can choose between ten different craft beers on tap and dozens of canned beers with quirky labels on the refrigerator shelves. Both the selections of beer on tap and the canned beers are updated regularly and range from crisp local ales to frothy IPAs from California.

Most of the beers on tap come in either medium (from roughly ¥1,000) or pint-sized pours (roughly ¥1,600), with offerings like the fruity Guava Gose form the Collective Arts brewery in Canada to the Sharkguin from Breweki in Sweden, which has an ABV of 8 percent. Bar space is limited, so there’s no guarantee of getting seated on a Friday night, but you won’t hear any patrons grumbling about having to stand when the booze is as delicious as it is here.

Duck under the small arched doorway down the narrow street of Susuran-dori and you’ll find one of the best bars in Sangenjaya. Actually, you’ll find two of the best bars in Sangenjaya, as Cielo is a two-level establishment with separate spaces for gin and whiskey aficionados. On the first landing, you’ll find the warmly lit gin bar with rows upon rows of craft gin. 

Labels range from the Spanish Gin Mare, infused with Mediterranean botanicals like rosemary and olives, to locally sourced bottles like Komasa and Roku. You can’t go wrong with a simple gin and tonic mixed with the bottle that first catches your eye, but it’s hard to resist the cocktail menu that has everything from sweet and strong concoctions like the Coffee Negroni (¥1,200) to light, dry tipples like the Lemongrass Old Salty Dog (¥1,400). 

Upstairs is an old school whiskey and cigar bar for those who like their drinks served neat. There are roughly 100 bottles to choose from, including Scotch, Hibiki and a handful of niche labels from lesser known distilleries for a drink that will put some hair on your chest.

This lively little standing bar offers an excellent range of craft sake (from around ¥600 a glass), organic wines, beer and izakaya classics like highballs and sours (¥400-600). While the food menu is entirely in Japanese, you can always ask the staff for their recommendations (say the magic word: ‘osusume’). Otherwise, just go with our favourites: seasonal sashimi, the towering potato salad (¥500) and the crisp chikuwa (fish paste) and gorgonzola tempura (¥500). The payment style is ‘cash on’, ie place your cash in the wooden tray in front of you at the start of the night and the staff will take the payment from there every time you order.

For years, Tokyo's caffeine addicts have been spoiled with an overflowing supply of 'third wave' coffee shops, while green tea – Japan's native pick-me-up – has been left by the wayside. But times they are a-changin'. First up is Sangenjaya's austere Tokyo Saryo, which offers single-origin green tea in hand drip form. The folks behind the lightly decorated shop have even developed their own tea dripper, which is supposed to help bring out the full flavours of the leaves. If you're looking to further your tea education, order the tasting set and enjoy a wide variety of aromas and tastes – and don't forget to also explore the sweet selection, which includes a tasty hojicha blancmange, dried fruit and ohagi (mochi balls with anko). 

Note that Tokyo Saryo is only open on Saturdays. We recommend making a reservation in advance.

The hard-to-spot sign – look for the crescent moon at street-level – and discreet entrance via a steep staircase on the side of an apartment building all add to the hideaway appeal of Moon Factory Coffee. Inside you’ll find a homely all-timber interior, excellent coffee and a tranquil atmosphere, with blues music playing softly in the background. The hand-drip brews are complex but perfectly balanced, with prices ranging from ¥750 to ¥900. The homemade desserts are just as good, especially the cheesecake and chocolate cake (¥600).

Finding this spot is no mean feat – you’ll first need to navigate the winding streets of Sangenjaya’s Sankaku Chitai and then enter one of the triangular labyrinth’s most narrow alleys to come upon a small door with a green light on it – but the effort will be worth it. Yakushu Bar Sangenjaya is a six-seat, counter-only boozer specialising in herbal spirits flavoured with ginger, goji berries, lemongrass, lavender, broiled eel and much more. The drinks variously tout beauty, anti-fatigue and stamina benefits – tell the friendly bartender how you’re feeling and he’ll pick out a mixture to right your wrongs. If you like the experience, consider also checking out their branches in Koenji and Asakusa.

Living up to its name, Small World has room for only five people at a time, but makes up for its modest size with an eclectic selection of both records and craft beer. Located between Sangenjaya and Shimokitazawa, the shop specialises in carefully curated underground sounds, all the way from avant-garde electronic music to indie rock. When you find a disc you’d like to listen to, ask the staff to play it while you grab a seat by the counter, settle in and decide what to order off the beer menu, which lists several excellent Japanese brews.

The people behind underground music club Aoyama Hachi opened a sister bar just ten minutes away from Sangenjaya Station. Located on the fourth floor of a corner building on Chazawa-dori (street), Hanare has a bright and cheerful pink interior that makes the tiny space look bigger than it actually is.

While the bar can only fit around ten to 15 people, it caters especially to music lovers and audiophiles with its top-of-the-line sound system by one of Japan’s leading speaker brands, Taguchi Onken. On Hanare’s roster are local DJs active in Shibuya and Sangenjaya, covering a wide range of music genres and generations.

While Hanare is open on most days, check its Instagram before you visit.

Sangengaya is dotted with shrines and temples with impressive landscaping and architecture for a nice respite from the city buzz. If you have time to spare, seek out the Shoin Taishido Walk and Jakuzure Green River Way. These leafy pedestrian paths connect many temples and shrines in the area.

If time is short, head south from Sangenjaya Station to Saichoji Temple. It features an enormous, regal gate (bukeyashiki-mon) that was transplated from an Edo-period residence that once belonged to a feudal lord. Nearby, the incredibly serene grounds of Kannonji Temple are abundant with greenery and dotted with cherry trees, making it a popular spot come sakura season. To the north of Sangenjaya Station, the impressive Taishido Hachiman Shrine often hosts seasonal festivals and events (check its event calendar here).

A stop by Kankyo Records is essential for any music lover looking to establish the right kind of ambience for their home. Whether you're an early riser or a night owl, an avid home cook or a balcony botanist, this nifty record shop will have just the right sounds to suit your vibe. Names you’ll come across on the labels here range from Italian composer and music producer Gigi Mason to the Philly-based band Nightlands. In addition to the rows of vinyl and cassette tapes (from roughly ¥1,200), the shop also stocks a small selection of homeware including graphic T-shirts and ceramic mugs for you to peruse. 

The top floor of this extremely orange-coloured 26-storey building is a great place to enjoy amazing views toward the Bay Bridge while lounging on one of the comfy sofas. Don't expect close-up views of skyscrapers here as Sangenjaya, while just two stops away from Shibuya on the metro, is largely low-rise and residential. On a clear day, you might even get an unobstructed view of Mt Fuji. There's also a restaurant and a more affordable café if you're feeling peckish. 

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