Fun venues on Den-en-toshi Line

Hi! Do any of you know fun/interesting places that I can get to via the Den-en-toshi line? I know the stations (thanks to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dky%C5%AB_Den-en-tos...) on the line, but have no idea what sorts of places are around those stations.

And I mean without having to make a transfer. I'm going to be staying at Tama Plaza, and want to know cool places to check out that will only be one short and inexpensive ride away for times when I'm bored and don't want to go out somewhere further. Thank you!

Note: I already know about Shibuya and that onsen by Futako Tamagawa. =]

Oh.. darn.

I guess noone really knew what kind of "fun venues" you were looking for :) That's a line connecting Shibuya all the way down to Kanagawa, along which are a string of residential areas (on the rich side). To me Futako-tamagawa is a lively neighborhood with some interesting shops/department store to browse through, and also a nice to get off the train if you want to be at the riverside. Sanzen-jaya I recall is another area with good restaurants and shops...

Den-en-toshi line... mostly very suburban and upmarket residential. As AK says, Futakotamagawa is one of the livelier stations, but not that much, and... actually, did you mean Sangenjaya, AK?

If I were you I would make the effort to change at Shibuya and go into the really interesting areas of Tokyo- you can walk from Shibuya to Harajuku and Yoyogi if you want and Shinjuku is not that far away. If you change at Shibuya (or possibly elsewhere- not sure) you can go to Shimo-Kitazawa, which is an interesting and quirky area.

Yes, Sira, thank you, I meant Sangenjaya. I wonder how my fingers ended up spelling that name that way... lol

if you get off at Ikejiriohashi and walk down the river for 15-20 min, you'll be in Nakameguro. You go also go to Shimokitazawa or Kichijoji but you would have to transfer at Shibuya Stn.

If you're visiting Tokyo for a short time, definitely you should take the effort to go to the more interesting places outside this line.

But if you're staying longer and just want somewhere close to go out for meal or a little shopping, you can go to Aobadai

It's a small but lively neighbourhood with restaurants, Tokyu dept store (with Muji, Tokyu Hands, and Itoya in it), izakayas, karaoke places, those kind ofstuffs.

Btw Omotesando, one stop after Shibuya is definitely worth visiting too.

You can find a lot of cozy cafes and nice parks near most of the stations on the Denentoshi Line, but if you are seeking anything more exciting then Tama Plaza, all my friends who live along that line go to Shibuya, Omotesando or even further into central Tokyo.

Otherwise, they would make one easy trasfer at Futako-Tamagawa to go to Jiyugaoka where they can enjoy some quiet shopping and dining.

In July you can look forward to the Fireworks at Tamagawa River which you can view from a lot of areas along the Denentoshi Line.

Enjoy the suburbs!

Can I really walk to Harajuku from Shibuya? How long does that take and how do I get there? I'm going to be in Japan for 2 months from April 15-June 15 (1 of those months in Tokyo. Well, Tama Plaza.) and I really want to cut transportation spending as much as possible. So what places can I actually walk to from Shibuya/how long/how to get there?

Of course, I'm also going to be going to the big must-see places on certain days, but I was asking about days when my itinerary isn't filled out and I don't want to spend more money than a simple 190 yen train ride (or preferably, none at all). But if some of those must-see venues can be walked to from Shibuya, that will save me some more money!


Oh yeah, isn't there a really huge 100 yen store on the den-en-toshi line? I think I was reading about it in the forum somewhere.. Someone said it was in Machida. I'm visiting an onsen accessible by the denentoshi line that is called 'Machida Roten Garden', so I'm guessing Futako Tamagawa leads to Machida??? Since it leads to the Machida onsen, that is.. Or is it just called that for some odd reason and is no where near Machida?

Pretty much I'm asking if the 100 yen store in Machida can be reached through Futako Tamagawa, and how to get there form the station. Sorry if it's a stupid question!

THANKS GUYS!! ^_^

I lived on the Den-en-toshi line two stations towards Shibuya from Tama-Pla. As others have said, there isn't much to do on the line although I enjoyed my time there a lot. You're certainly not going to see any shortage of restaurants and shopping, any station where the express stops would be a good option for you. If you're just looking to hang out (ie. bowling, arcades, etc.) I did that stuff at Mizonokuchi. Whenever I wanted a nice meal, I actually went to your station, Tama-Pla because there's a fantastic selection there.

If you're so concerned about over-spending on transportation, why don't you just get a one-month commuter pass? You can do Tama-Pla to Shibuya for about 9,030 yen which means, you already make up that price by making about 19 round trips between the two stations. When you consider the fact that it only takes about 20 minutes on the express to Shibuya, I think that would be a better deal for you, especially if you want to explore.

Harajuku and Shibuya are about 1km apart.

Between Shibuya and Harajuku you can enjoy walking the following paths.

(1) Shibuya Station - shop at 109 - shop at Loft - shopt at Tokyu Hands - Koen Dori street - visit NHK TV station - enjoy nature at Yoyogi Park - Harajuku Station - either Omotesando or Takeshita-dori street - Omotesando Station

(2) Shibuya Station - shop at Marui, Tower Records or tiny shops as you walk along the railway on a street called Fire-dori - Harajuku Station - (same as above)

(3) Shibuya Station - enjoy shopping at small shops as you walk along Meiji-dori street until you reach GAP in Harajuku - Omotesando street - Omotesando Station

As for (3) it might be more fun for you to start from Omotesando Station and go backwards. As you reach GAP, ask for "Ura-Harajuku" and someone will be able to show you the way to a narrow path with Indies clothes shops and ethnic cafes. The path will lead you towards Shibuya. When the path gets boring, take a right turn somewhere and you'll come to the wide street Meijio-dori.

In fact, this morning I was driving around Tama Plaza. As mentioned, it's quite a big shopping district with lots of trees that may bloom in April. I spotted a rather "different" 100 yen shop near the station, but I can't pin-point the location. Maybe you'd like to searth that yourself.

As for trasportation fee, you can also buy "kai-su-ken" which are sets of multiple tickets with various discount depending on how you want to use it. Ask at the station for more details.

I was in a fun bar/restaurant in Tama Plaza a few years ago. I think it was called the Mardi Gras and was sort of an American Western type theme.
All the Japanese staff were young and very friendly and we had a great time.
If I remember correctly when you come out of the station you'll come to the traffic lights, cross over and when you get to the other side go to your left, you'll go around a little turn and go straight at the second set of traffic lights and the bar is around the bend.