It has increasingly become a major tourist attraction for the area. The station itself was renovated in 2006, and a new Hotel Mets opened at the northern entrance in March 2007.īetween independent grocers and convenience chain stores there are also several large supermarkets, including Queen's Isetan (near Shin-Kōenji Station).ĭozens of yakitori restaurants, izakaya, ramen noodle restaurants, and bars can be found in the streets and alleys of north and south Kōenji, and under the elevated tracks near the JR station.Īwa Odori Kōenji Awa Odori Kōenji Awa Odori, 2017Įach year in late August the Kōenji Awa Odori festival is held over two days. West of the station, both north, south, and under the tracks, are many small yakitori restaurants and bars. North of the station are two main shopping streets with used record shops, restaurants and cafes. South of the station is the "PAL" shopping arcade with many food, clothing, and discount goods shops. The majority of the stores are on the south side of the JR station, on or near Look Shōtengai (ルック商店街). There also used to be a town called Mabashi between Kōenji and nearby Asagaya, which has since been absorbed into Kōenji, although the name Mabashi is retained in some schools and shrines.Įntertainment Shopping An izakaya in Higashi-KōenjiĪfter Harajuku and Shimokitazawa, Kōenji is the best-known area in Tokyo for used clothing shopping. The whole area surrounding Shukuhōzan Kōenji temple used to be called Kōenji. The current division of Kōenji into north and south around Kōenji Station is a post-war arrangement. In 2006, when the Japanese PSE law went into effect restricting the sale of electronic goods built before 2001, Kōenji was chosen as the site for a protest due to its active "retro" culture and used equipment shops. It is also known for having a young population and as a center for suburban underground culture including multiple used record and clothing shops. Due to its aging retail district and location on a major commuter route, the station area has become a center for small restaurants and "Live Houses" which offer live music. It was largely unaffected by the 1980s building boom and therefore many of the houses and shops in the area are small and reflect the character of "pre-boom" Japan. Kōenji is primarily a residential community with easy access to the Shinjuku and Tokyo stations. The district's name originates from the old temples in the area. Kōenji ( 高円寺) is a district of Tokyo in the Suginami ward, west of Shinjuku. JSTOR ( May 2016) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Over 1,400,000 people join the events annually.This article needs additional citations for verification. Another group, Niwaka Ren, performs in many locations as well, and their shows are open for anyone to join in on. There are viewing stations all over town where you can watch the dance performances (some shows charge, some are free) of the dance group Yumei Ren. It is now firmly set as a traditional performance representative of Japan.ĭuring the festival, both dancers and festivalgoers unite in excitement as the Ohayashi music echoes through the entire city. It caught on as a form of pleasure and entertainment of the people, especially right after the war when it became a token of post-war recovery. It's said that the merchants played instrumental roles in it all, and made the Awa Odori into something truly splendid. There are several theories as to how it started, however it was around the year 1586 that the dance started picking up among townsfolk, after the region became wealthy from the production of Ai (Japanese Indigo plant used in dye) and salt, around the time that Iemasa Hachisuka, the founder of the Tokushima clan, settled down in Tokushima. This is the world renown Awa Odori, boasting over 400 years of history.
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