What kind of place is Jiyugaoka?
Jiyugaoka is a place full of artistic air and innocent feeling. There are many hidden clothing stores, cute clothing stores for kids, lifestyle shops which are good for buying small items as gifts, and pastry shops that can satisfy the sight and taste at once. It is a little paradise for Besties to go shopping for matching clothes, have afternoon tea, eat cupcakes, and do photo shooting. Many stores’ names are in foreign languages(not in Japanese), and it feels like being in a small foreign country. You would like to see every store here and there. You will never know how attractive Jiyugaoka is if you don’t visit here in person. It is highly recommended to Besties and all the Art Buffs!
Jiyugaoka Directions ➼
A Fancy Book Café
The fancy cafe you can see once you walk out of Jiyugaoka Station is called Bibliothèque, which means ‘library’ in French. This café has a variety of English books and books about design, which makes the space classier. It seems that it is a Book Café where you can read books freely.
You can choose Gratin, Doria, or Both(100-200 yen more expensive) as a lunch set. Of course, there are other savory foods and desserts. I ordered ‘Gratin & Doria Deli Plate’(1,400 yen, tax excluded) à la carte. This is the first time I eat a Gratin/Doria which I can enjoy rice and noodles at once. The taste was average, but still, it was pretty new to me!
This dish is so colorful that I can’t wait to press the shutter! Besides the Gratin/Doria, there are also some green salad, yellow mashed pumpkin, sliced whole wheat bread, beige mushrooms, magenta pickles, and purple boiled eggs. Being able to enjoy a variety of foods at once is quite extravagant, I mean in a good way. Compared to going to an all-you-can-eat restaurant, having the pressure of ‘I gotta eat as much as possible so that it breaks even’, I prefer to spend a little more money to have a dish with a small amount of varies food.
How can I get to Bibliothèque? ➼
Walking in the Rain
After satisfying my starving stomach, I went to explore the streets. What’s interesting is that the alleys of Jiyugaoka are intricate and difficult to remember(it feels easy to get lost), but I accidentally went back to the station after looking around this area casually(How Lucky!). This day was very very cold because of the rain, but it was fun to stroll around here on a rainy day. I also took a few pictures which look great especially on a rainy day. A cup of Hot Matcha Soy Milk Latte was perfect to be an end of Jiyugaoka.
- Any recommended Cafe in Tokyo? ➼
BLUE BOTTLE COFFEE, THE MOST HONEST REVIEW