Kiyosumi-Shirakawa: a popular neighborhood among art and coffee lovers in Tokyo

One of the main reasons many Tokyoites visit Kiyosumi-Shirakawa is for the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo.

However, in the recent years, this shitamachi (downtown suburb) has gained a following especially among art and coffee lovers. The river running close to the area is ideal for an evening walk too! Here's what we did in half a day at Kiyosumi-Shirakawa. To make it easy, we have created a Google Map, so you don't miss any of these spots!

Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo

We started our day with some artwork. This gallery is massive and even if you don't particularly enjoy art, the structure of this museum is interesting enough for some cool photos. Since the exhibits vary regularly, please make sure to check the official website. Official website: https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/en/

Blue Bottle Coffee

After enjoying a peaceful time walking around the gallery, we headed to Blue Bottle Coffee. Now with many stores in Tokyo, this was the first roastery and cafe in Japan. Formerly a storage building, the space was redesigned to create a seamless space with large windows and doors.

Cheese no Koe

Other than coffee, one of the well-known stores for a sweet treat is Cheese no Koe (literally, the voice of cheese). Close to Kiyosumi Garden, you will easily find this store as it has a map of Hokkaido on the display window. There are cheese varieties from over 30 stores in Hokkaido. The soft serve made using Hokkaido dairy is a top pick!

Jurgen Lehl's Babaghuri

Anyone in the fashion world is familiar with Lehl's simple and eco-friendly designer clothes that have a minimal environmental impact. The flagship store in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa stands out as creepers crawl over the building's facade. You can buy a range of products including home linen and kitchenware too.

Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Park

We end our journey at the Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Park, a traditional Japanese garden. The park is dotted with landscape stones, a pond as well as a teahouse. And no surprise, but the garden is stunning in autumn and summer.

If you visit this area in the evening, don't forget to walk towards Sumida River for a view of the lit-up Kiyosumi Bridge and the Tokyo Skytree in the distance.

So if it's your second or third visit to Tokyo, then how about adding this area to your list!

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