A One-Day Tokyo Shitamachi Walking Tour Using the Toden Arakawa Line One-Day Pass

The Toden One-Day Pass offers unlimited rides on the streetcar for one day within its period of validity. Since a single ride on the Toden Arakawa Line costs ¥170, the pass pays for itself after three rides.

The Toden Arakawa Line operates every six minutes from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. During the daytime sightseeing hours, the next streetcar arrives after only a few minutes, so you can enjoy hopping on and off without constantly checking the schedule.

Of the Toden Arakawa Line's 30 stops, 10 have names ending in “-mae,” meaning “in front of,” indicating that they are located close to a destination. Some attractions are only a one-minute walk away, while even the more distant ones can usually be reached in a few minutes. This reduces both sightseeing time and physical exertion. The short distance between the stops and nearby attractions is a major advantage for a hop-on, hop-off trip.

Most of the Toden Arakawa Line runs on dedicated tracks, but roads run alongside the tracks in many places, allowing you to walk while watching the streetcars pass.
When walking to the next stop, there is no need to take a long detour or search for a complicated route. You can simply get off wherever you like and board again at the next stop.

Flower beds can be found in many places along the Toden Arakawa Line, providing opportunities to see seasonal blooms. The area around Oji is also well known for its cherry blossoms. Along the route, you will find numerous locations where flowers and streetcars can be photographed together.

Toden commuter pass sales offices: Sano Inbo at Machiya-ekimae; inside the Toei Bus terminal at the north exit of JR Oji Station; the commuter pass sales office at Sugamo Station on the Toei Mita Line; Otsuka-ekimae Station; the Waseda Bus Office; and the commuter pass sales office at Nippori Station

This municipally operated amusement park reopened after renovations in April 2022. Attractions include a Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, a Sky Cycle that lets riders pedal through the air, and a family roller coaster designed to look like a caterpillar. Ride tickets are required, and unlimited-ride passes are also available.

In addition to the rides, the park has areas suitable for families with babies and young children, including a water play area, animal plaza, and lawn. The park is also open at night during spring, summer, and winter school vacations, as well as on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays, and the days before national holidays, when visitors can see its illuminations. Reentry is permitted, so on evenings when the park is open late, you can return to experience the amusement park after dark.

This free facility is open on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays. It displays two former Toden streetcars: a 5500 series car built in 1954 and a 7500 series car built in 1962. Car 7504, visible at the front, was nicknamed Gakuen-go, or “School Car,” because it was used to transport students during rush hour in the final years before its retirement. Exhibits inside explain the history of the Toden streetcars.

Car 5501 on the left side of the square contains a diorama, commemorative headboards, and hands-on exhibits such as a simulated driver's cab and control panel.

One of Japan's first public parks, Asukayama Park was opened to the public after Tokugawa Yoshimune, the eighth shogun of the Edo shogunate, who ruled from 1716 to 1745, planted cherry trees here. With 600 cherry trees, it remains one of Tokyo's best-known cherry blossom destinations.
The entire hill forms the park, which contains numerous attractions, including the former residence of businessman Shibusawa Eiichi and several museums.
Filled with greenery and offering views that seem far removed from central Tokyo, it is a relaxing place to spend time. In summer, when mosquitoes are active, bringing insect repellent and anti-itch medication is recommended.

Known as “Grandma's Harajuku,” this community-oriented shopping street developed along the former Nakasendo road. Specialty stores, independently owned shops, and restaurants line the busy street.

The area is also home to Koganji Temple, known for the Togenuki Jizo statue, and Shinshoji Temple, which houses one of the Six Jizo of Edo. Many people visit the area to worship at these temples.

You may find surprisingly inexpensive products or one-of-a-kind handmade items. The street is so densely packed with interesting shops that hours can pass while simply browsing the displays, an experience characteristic of Jizo-dori Shopping Street.

This temple enshrines Kishimojin, a guardian deity associated with children and safe childbirth. The nearest Toden Arakawa Line stop is pronounced Kishibojin, while the temple's name is pronounced Kishimojin. The kanji character for “oni,” or demon, in the deity's name is also written in a special form without horns.

The main hall was built in 1664 and survived both the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and the destruction of World War II. It was designated a Tangible Cultural Property of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 1960 and an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 2016.

The temple grounds contain a large ginkgo tree believed to be 700 years old, standing 108 feet tall with a trunk circumference of approximately 36 feet. The surrounding woodland scenery is hard to believe considering that Ikebukuro is only about a 10-minute walk away. The impressive row of zelkova trees along the approach casts deep shade even in summer, offering a refreshing forest experience in the city.

Toden Monaka is the signature product of Kasho Akemi, a confectionery shop founded in 1957. First sold in 1977, the sweets come in packaging modeled after Toden streetcars, making them visually appealing as well.

Monaka is a traditional confection made by filling crisp wafers with sweet bean paste. Toden Monaka also contains soft gyuhi mochi made from glutinous rice flour, adding a pleasantly chewy texture. The monaka itself is shaped like a Toden streetcar, making it a suitable souvenir for rail fans.

Shio daifuku is known as a specialty of Sugamo, and Mizuno is where it originated. The shop uses carefully selected Japanese ingredients, and its mochi is pounded in a stone mortar rather than made by machine. Carefully prepared by hand, the shio daifuku combines just the right amount of salt with an excellent mochi texture, making it easy to understand why the shop has so many repeat customers.

In addition to shio daifuku, the extensive selection includes mame daifuku, mitarashi dango, mizu yokan, and sekihan. It is the kind of shop that will make you want to return several times to try more of its products.

Motoko is a specialty warabi mochi shop founded in Sugamo in 2005. Sugamo has many well-known Japanese confectionery shops, and Motoko has also gained popularity as one of the area's nationally recognized establishments.

The shop sells only warabi mochi and warabi mochi milk tea. Its standard warabi mochi flavors are light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, and matcha, with salted and limited seasonal flavors also available. The shop originated warabi mochi milk tea.

This cafe is located in the Joyful Minowa Shopping Street next to Minowabashi, with accommodations on the second floor. In addition to model trains, the interior is filled with railway memorabilia formerly used around Japan, offering plenty to see even for dedicated rail fans.
The cafe also takes pride in its drinks and meals, including a selection of international dishes.

This pedestrian bridge leads to Asukayama Park and provides an elevated view of the section where Toden streetcars run along the roadway on shared tracks. It is an ideal place to watch and photograph passing streetcars. On days off, people can often be seen waiting with cameras in hand.

Hokutopia is a multipurpose complex containing a full-scale performance hall, several meeting rooms, and music studios. The observation lobby on the 17th and top floor is free to enter and offers panoramic views of the area around the station.
From above, visitors can see the JR lines running directly beside Hokutopia and the Toden streetcars traveling at the foot of Asukayama Park, making it an excellent railway photography location. Railway-themed events are also held here, so check the event schedule before visiting.

This cafe occupies a 6000 series streetcar that was in actual service for more than 50 years. Because it has a single headlight, it was nicknamed Ikkyu-san, a play on the numbers 1-9-3. In addition to soft drinks, it serves craft beer, shaved ice, popcorn, and other snacks, making it a convenient stop when you are feeling slightly hungry.

This exhibition area contains a diorama modeled after neighborhoods served by the Toden Arakawa Line, along with a variety of reference materials. It can be enjoyed by both adults and children.