More Side Trips from Shinjuku

This is a popular area filled with hip stores selling all sorts of goods, small theaters, and clubs offering live music. Shimo-Kitazawa is well known for being deep at the heart of music and other subculture trends. Make sure to check out the back streets, too, which are lined with used clothing stores selling high-quality fashion and restaurants that are all the rage.

Cultural institutions that are the pride of Japan to the world are concentrated in this corner of Kawasaki that still retains must nature. Famous manga artist Fujiko・F・Fujio lived here for many years, and artist Okamoto Taro was born here. Experience world-class culture in museums with vast collections of works by these globally famous artists. They are located in Ikuta Ryokuchi Park that is also home to a natural history museum, institutions with cultural assets and much more. Cultural pop monuments greet visitors at the station and along the way to the park.

After flourishing as a castle town during the Sengoku (Warring States) period, Odawara was one of the most prominent shukuba (post towns) on the Tokaido, a major thoroughfare for Eastern Japan. The traffic that came through added to the development of local traditions and culture. Odawara Castle radiates in beautiful white as a symbol of the town. The many sites where you can get a sense of the history include historical ruins and shops that have been in business for centuries. If you go a little further out, you can visit Odawara Fishing Port, where you can find restaurants serving fresh fish and gift shops.