Daikanyama, in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward, is a short train ride (one local stop) from Shibuya Station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line and is a quiet and elegant contrast to what is often the Shibuya area’s crowds, noise and brash consumerism.
High-priced boutiques, some of the best cafe culture in Japan, and Fumihiko Maki’s Hillside Terrace (see below) make the Daikanyama area one of Tokyo’s hippest neighborhoods, featuring a fascinating mixture of the cute, the cutting edge and the retrospective.
The biggest complex in Daikanyama is called Daikanyama Address, which is distinguished by a large green flower sculpture on Hachiman-dori Avenue.
Hillside Terrace is an urban project by architect Fumihiko Maki, who also has the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Sendagaya and the striking Spiral Building near Omotesando on his resume. It was built in seven stages between 1967 and 1992.
Behind Hillside Terrace, you will find the Kyu Asakusa House built in 1919 by Torajiro Asakusa and is designated as an “important cultural property”. For a small entry fee, you can visit inside, with a storehouse, main building and a garden.
