Shin-Okubo, Tokyo
Shin-Okubo is one train stop from Shinjuku, and is known as Tokyo’s Koreatown
In recent years, it has become an alternative to and sometimes preferred play spot to Harajuku
Many other Asian restaurants and markets can be found in this area
It’s one of those pockets of Tokyo that feels, well, slightly different from typical Japan. Only one stop from Shinjuku, Shin-Okubo is a neighborhood with a South Korean vibe mixed with a little bit of Southeast Asia.
How to get there
Tokyo’s main loop line, the Yamanote Line, stops right at Shin-Okubo Station. It’s also a 15-minute walk from Shinjuku, making it a very easily accessible destination.
About Shin-Okubo
As Japan opened up to foreign exchange students in the early 1980s, immigrants from South Korea settled in Shin-Okubo. Many of those who immigrated in later years did the same, and the community continued to flourish.
More recently as the influence of J-pop declined and Korean pop culture grew, so did the crowds going to the area. Most of them are going to get merchandise from their favorite Korean stars, Korean cosmetics, or are going to try some of the latest trendy foods.
Other Asian immigrants began to set up shop there as well, and it’s become a bit of a Little Myeongdong, Seoul meets Southeast Asia, if you will.
Shin-Okubo is a relatively affordable place to live, especially considering that it’s on Tokyo’s main train line and is right next to Shinjuku, one of Tokyo’s downtowns.
The average rent in Shin-Okubo is a little lower than Tokyo’s average. For a 1K studio as of October 2021, it is 90,500 JPY (USD $797 - The average for Tokyo in 2019 was USD $870). [J]
Street Food
It’s not just the entertainment, street foods and snacks from South Korea have become trendy in Japan as well.
Small shops and stalls line the streets here, selling items like cheese-filled Korean corn dogs, character macarons, colorful drinks and more.
Korean Shops
While a lot of young people flock to Harajuku’s Takeshita Street area for Japanese celebrity memorabilia, cosmetics and accessories, Shin-Okubo’s main Okubo-dori Street has increasingly been able to compete as a go-to destination for them as well.
I personally didn’t explore them one by one, but there are both small boutique shops and bigger multi-story mini malls that are full of Korean products.
Korean Markets
Korean food is already extremely popular in Japan, and Shin-Okubo is flooded with Korean restaurants. However, sometimes you want to make Korean dishes at home and certain items may be hard to come by.
Bone-in kalbi, for example, isn’t sold at most Japanese markets and unless you go shopping at Costco Japan, markets in Shin-Okubo may be your best bet. This is what we came for, and we were able to find some at Seoul Market.
KangHoDong Chicken 678
Authentic Korean fried chicken at a bustling eatery. We decided to come here after missing the delicious food we had in Seoul.
KangHoDong Chicken 678 is very popular so there may be a wait, but Korean fried chicken is some of the best chicken around so it’s very worth it.
We got a combo of their regular sauce (left) and chili (right) fried chicken, and washed it down with some beers. Great choice to top off a day in Shin-Okubo.
Khunmae
Khunmae is a Thai restaurant that is both delicious and of amazing value. Highly rated, we stopped by for lunch and a Japan food reviewer specializing in the best Thai food in the country just happened to be hosting a livestream there. Good sign.
We got a bowl of khao soi, a noodle soup from northern Thailand. A flavorful broth of slightly spicy Thai curry and a hint of coconut, it featured pho-like noodles along with dried noodles, chicken and a range of fresh vegetables which added great texture.
There’s a self-serve table of tea and coffee, and all for 950 JPY. A very good lunch option in Shin-Okubo.
Vietnam Chan
A good choice for some authentic Vietnamese food. We came here for lunch and it was packed with both Japanese and Vietnamese alike, so we knew as soon as we entered that this would be legit.
It’s not a fancy place, just straight forward and to the point. We got beef pho (which is less common in Japan versus chicken) and had orders of rolls and che, the Vietnamese dessert pudding.
A good option to get your Vietnamese fix if you’re nearby.
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