Tokyo’s major districts  – Roppongi, Shibuya, and Shinjuku, are all must sees for different reasons, but they aren’t really the types of bergs you want to be packed into on a daily basis. For a more relaxed and independent lifestyle, you’ve got to go a bit deeper and check out the lesser-known, niché neighbourhoods like Kichijoji, Takadanobaba, Shimokitazawa and so on. One of the most interesting spots right now is Koenji – a bohemian neighbourhood known for its diversity, vegan cuisine and abundance of used-clothing stores and record shops.

Koenji is the birthplace of Tokyo’s punk scene and is also home to the “amatuer revolt”: a community of students, activists, shop-owners and artists whose aim is to create/maintain a neighbourhood where people can live and enjoy life without money. The berg still has a youthful idealism that’s yet to be corrupted by overt commercialism and cynicism – unique in a city the size of Tokyo, especially considering how similar neighbourhoods in NYC and London have been rapidly gentrified while Koenji has been able to retain its style and affordability.

PBLKS correspondent Allison O’Connor was recently in the neighbourhood, where she chatted up a random 41-year old restaurateur:

What kind of place is Koenji? Hmm…Well there are a lot of used clothing shops and the prices around here are low so its a good place for young people. There are also some bars that open from 5am so taxi drivers that have worked all night can stop in for a drink.

Would you say there is a ‘Koenji Type’ person? [hmm, haw] Generally speaking, I don’t have a very good image of people in Koenji. Its kind of an image of hippies, lazy people. Oh a lot of foreigners come here too.

There’s a lot of grafitti here, what do you think about it? Oh yeah, I don’t like it, but that’s because I’m an old man.

Snaps by A.O.