West Tokyo: Tokyo

West Tokyo, like East Tokyo, is very much a residential district – perfect if you want to get a look at how Tokyoites live and play every day. You'll find acres of pedestrian arcades, jam-packed with tiny boutiques, traditional markets, and casual eateries, to explore. The homes here are decidedly more trendy than those in the east, and neighborhoods like Kichijoji play host to shopping streets that let you take a glance at the everyday lives of Tokyo's twenty-something residents.

Nakano is a western hub that caters to a slightly younger crowd, with an assortment of eating and drinking establishments as well as Nakano Broadway, an otaku building housing several floors of manga, anime, idol, music, toy, and subculture specialty shops. Koenji is another bedroom community west of Shinjuku that provides lots of opportunities to play in its shops, bars, and parks. In late August, Koenji is the site of the Awa Dori festival: a procession of around 12,000 traditional dancers along the neighborhood's streets.
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