Tokyo · Updated: 2026-10-08
Around Kichijoji Station (吉祥寺駅) there are nine walking spots, ranging from temples along the shopping streets to Inokashira Park and a museum. All nine list Kichijoji Station as their nearest station, from Gessoji Temple at a 5-minute walk to the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka at an 18-minute walk, so the whole set fits into one walk. The mix is five temples, one shrine, one park, one zoo and one museum, which lets you link the bustle of the town with the quiet of the waterside in a single afternoon.
This guide covers 9 walking spots; 9 of them are an average 9-minute walk from the nearest station (5–18 min).
Counted from zorozoro listings when this page was generated. Walking minutes are estimates: straight-line distance to the nearest station × 1.3, at 80 m per minute.
Start on the shopping-street side by the station's north exit, then head south toward the park. Follow the temples and shrine first — Gessoji Temple (5 minutes on foot) → Renjoji Temple (6 minutes) → Kosenji Temple (6 minutes) → Anyoji Temple (8 minutes) → Musashino Hachimangu Shrine (8 minutes) — then walk down to Inokashira Park (7 minutes). From the park side you can continue to Daiseiji Temple (11 minutes), Inokashira Park Zoo (13 minutes) and the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka (18 minutes).
A Soto Zen temple whose gate stands along the Sun Road shopping street by the north exit of Kichijoji Station, and one of the four temples of Kichijoji. It moved here from Kanda after the Great Meireki Fire. At a 5-minute walk from the station, it sits right beside the flow of shoppers, so it catches your eye as you walk through town.
A temple a 6-minute walk from Kichijoji Station that sits in the middle of the lively streets, yet turns quiet and settled once you pass through its gate. It suits a short, unplanned stop between shopping and strolling, to put your hands together in the grounds and collect yourself.
One of the four temples of Kichijoji, a 6-minute walk from Kichijoji Station. Its history traces back to a move from the Kanda area after the Great Meireki Fire. Set just off the busy street in front of the station, it offers a quiet pause in the middle of a walk.
Also one of the four temples of Kichijoji, an 8-minute walk from Kichijoji Station. It was relocated here after the Great Meireki Fire of 1657, when residents of the Kanda area moved to this land. Although the shopping-street crowds are right nearby, the grounds stay quiet and calm.
The tutelary shrine of Kichijoji, familiar to local residents, standing an 8-minute walk from Kichijoji Station just beyond the shopping street. It is said to have been founded by people who moved from Kanda after the Great Meireki Fire. Large trees fill the grounds, and the air here is gentle, away from the noise in front of the station.
A historic park that opened in 1917, a 7-minute walk from Kichijoji Station. Inokashira Pond at its centre is one of the sources of the Kanda River, with cherry blossoms in spring and fresh greenery in early summer along the water. Hours are 09:30–17:00 from Monday to Sunday, admission is listed as free (入場無料), and pets are welcome. You can take a boat out on the pond or make a loop around it.
A temple an 11-minute walk from Kichijoji Station, on the way from the station to Inokashira Park. Inokashira Benzaiten, standing at the edge of the pond, has long drawn worshippers as a hall managed by this temple. Stop in while strolling the park and put your hands together in the calm by the water.
A zoo inside Inokashira Park, a 13-minute walk from Kichijoji Station. It opened in 1942 and has small animals, birds and a corner gathering sculptures. It is also remembered for Hanako the elephant, who lived here for many years. The grounds are barrier-free, so you can spend unhurried time with the animals alongside a walk in the park.
A museum next to Inokashira Park where you can step into the world of Studio Ghibli. Hayao Miyazaki devised the concept, and it opened in 2001. Hours are 10:00–18:00 on Mondays and 10:00–18:00 from Wednesday to Sunday. The maze-like interior lets you see how animation works and look at original drawings; the museum is non-smoking, barrier-free and has restrooms, and it accepts credit cards, transport IC cards (Suica/PASMO) and e-money for cashless payment.
The temples and shrine on the shopping-street side cluster within a 5–8 minute walk, while the park side runs 11–18 minutes. Since Inokashira Park is open 09:30–17:00 and the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka 10:00–18:00, visiting the nearby temples first and finishing the park side before evening keeps the walk unhurried.