Skip the tourist districts. Ekoda and Nerima offer real Tokyo neighborhood life — quiet streets, great food, and easy train access to the whole city. Plus: 2 stops from Harry Potter Studio.
Most Tokyo travel guides send you to Shinjuku. Or Shibuya. Or Asakusa. These are great neighborhoods — but they're also neighborhoods optimized for tourism, not for living in.
Ekoda and Nerima are different. They're where Tokyoites actually live. Where the ramen shop has been run by the same family for thirty years. Where the shotengai (covered shopping street) still has a tofu shop and a hardware store alongside the convenience stores. Where the pace of life, even in one of the world's most intense cities, feels genuinely unhurried.
For visitors staying a week or more, this is not a compromise. It's an upgrade.
Both neighborhoods sit in West Tokyo, in Nerima Ward — one of the city's largest and most residential wards. They're not on the typical tourist circuit, which is precisely what makes them interesting.
Ekoda Station is served by the Seibu Ikebukuro Line, connecting directly to Ikebukuro in around 10 minutes. Nerima Station sits on the same line one stop closer to Ikebukuro, with additional connections via the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho and Fukutoshin lines.
In practical terms: you're 15–20 minutes from Shinjuku, 20–25 minutes from Shibuya, and a quick two stops from the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo (Harry Potter). You're not in central Tokyo, but you're not far from it either — and the moment you step out of the station, you'll understand why the tradeoff is worth it.
Ekoda is small — modest even — but it has character in abundance. The area around Ekoda Station has a well-established shopping street with local restaurants, cafes, and small shops. There's a university nearby (Rikkyo University), which gives the neighborhood a relaxed, slightly creative energy without being a student party zone.
Daily life in Ekoda
Covered shotengai (shopping arcade) with a mix of old-school and newer shops
Supermarkets within easy walking distance for groceries
Local cafes — good for slow mornings and remote work
Small parks and tree-lined streets throughout the residential streets
Pharmacy, convenience stores, post office all within walking distance
Excellent ramen, soba, and teishoku (set meal) restaurants
It's the kind of neighborhood that rewards exploration on foot. Wander twenty minutes in any direction and you'll find something: a small shrine tucked between houses, a bakery that opens at 7am, a record shop that's been there since the 1980s.
Nerima Ward is the greenest of Tokyo's 23 special wards — more parks, more trees, more space per person than you'd find in central areas. Nerima Station itself is a larger hub than Ekoda, with department stores, a wider range of restaurants, and direct metro access.
For families and groups, Nerima has a particularly comfortable feel. Wider streets, less density, a sense that there's room to breathe. The parks are genuinely good — Nerima Central Park in particular is large enough to spend a proper afternoon in.
Daily life in Nerima
Larger supermarkets and department store food halls (depachika) near the station
Nerima Central Park — spacious green space ideal for morning runs and picnics
Strong family-friendly infrastructure: playgrounds, wide pavements, quiet streets
Nerima's famous Hikawa Shrine — a beautiful local Shinto shrine with a large grounds
Good variety of restaurants from casual chains to local independents
Quiet residential streets ideal for evening walks
Tokyo Travel has three properties in this area, each suited to a different type of traveler or group:
Nana House Ekoda (3 bedrooms)
Capacity: up to 8 guests | Size: 51m²
Bedrooms: 3 | Beds: 3
8-minute walk to Ekoda Station
2 stops to Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo
Full kitchen, bathtub, washer, high-speed WiFi, self check-in
Amenities: hair dryer, shampoo, conditioner, body soap, bidet + 27 more
Nana House Sakaecho (3 bedrooms)
Capacity: up to 9 guests
Bedrooms: 3 | Beds: 3
3-minute walk to Ekoda Station
2 stops to Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo
Full kitchen, bathtub, washer, high-speed WiFi, self check-in
Amenities: hair dryer, shampoo, conditioner, body soap, bidet + 27 more
Nana House Nerima (2 bedrooms)
Capacity: up to 6 guests | Size: 41m²
Bedrooms: 2 | Beds: 2
Near Nerima Station
1 stop to Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo
Full kitchen, washer, high-speed WiFi, self check-in
All three properties are available for nightly, weekly, and monthly stays. For groups visiting Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo, Nana House Nerima (1 stop away) and Nana House Sakaecho (2 stops, 3-minute walk to station) are the most convenient options.
Find your Ekoda or Nerima home
Browse properties → tokyotravel.jp/room/
Check availability → tokyotravel.jp/calendar/
