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Over the past few years, the culture-packed Shimokitazawa district has seen an influx of pocket-sized plazas and restaurant hubs open their doors. Developments such as <a href="https://mikanshimokita.jp/?DestinAsian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mikan Shimokita</a>, taking over a concrete-clad space under the railroad tracks, and the sleek <a href="https://reload-shimokita.com/?DestinAsian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reload</a> complex bring some of the area’s best fashion boutiques, bars and dining spots together under one roof.
Among the more noteworthy arrivals is <a href="https://bonus-track.net/?DestinAsian">Bonus Track</a>, a mixed-use complex designed by Tokyo-based Tsubame Architects. Circling a tree-shaded courtyard in the heart of the district, the project’s timber-framed buildings house a wildly diverse lineup of independent businesses. Standouts include a pint-sized cafe and bookstore selling nothing but biographies (think Peter Beard, Albert Einstein, and Eric Hoffer, plus empty diaries for when inspiration strikes), a Chinese-American vegan restaurant designed like an old-school diner, and a record store with an eclectic collection of jazz, punk, and soul. Make sure to drop into <a href="https://hakko-department.com/?DestinAsian">Hakko Department</a> for unique souvenirs: the timber frames of this health-minded grocery store are packed with fermented foodstuffs (hakko is Japanese for fermentation) that include bottles of cloudy sake, artisanal miso paste and koji starter kits—all sold in gift-ready packaging. —Chris Schalkx
<a href="https://bonus-track.net/?DestinAsian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bonus-track.net</a> 
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<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/v1bJ3TSMUbr8vRjU6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2-36-15 Daita, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan</a>

Winter decorations after dark at Bonus Track, a retail/dining precinct in Tokyo’s Shimokitazawa district.

Bonus Track: Wildly Diverse

Tokyo Attractions

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