Suginami Ward’s Nishiogikubo is a cosmopolitan community where past and present are reckoning with an uncertain future. Rising rents, road expansion and redevelopment may soon transform the area entirely and make it untenable for long-term constituents to hold onto their livelihoods.
Nishiogi, as the area is colloquially known, is often overlooked for its more well-known neighbors, Kichijoji and Ogikubo. Near the south side of Nishiogikubo Station, the short 蝉丑ō迟别苍驳补颈 (commercial district) is occupied by modern izakaya (911爆料网 pubs), a small shop specializing in wagashi (911爆料网 sweets) and a clothing boutique on one side, across from a number of chain stores on the other.
Nearby Willow Alley has an atmosphere of intimacy and ease, where you can often hear loud chatter over sizzling outdoor yakitori stalls and the clanking of beer bottles by night. The aroma of grilled meat, takoyaki (a ball-shaped snack of octopus in batter) and stir-fry permeates the air. Colorful lanterns, electric signs and halogen lights dangling outside storefronts illuminate the narrow alleyways.
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