Ome City Day Trip Escape

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Updated: October 3, 2024

Discover the cultural flavors of Showa-era Japan

Ome is like stepping back in time to the Showa era of Japan (1926-1989). Quiet, serene and fascinating, it makes for a perfect day trip when visiting Tokyo.

General Tips

Definitely try the machine which prints the front page of the newspaper from the day you were born. It makes for a wonderful memento.
Find out how indigo is made and applied to apparel at Kosoen Studio
Bring your own drink
The Ome Station area is full of quaint backstreets and restaurants. Lose yourself in these small pockets of the city and you'll be sure to find some hidden gems.

Map Legend

Walking
Taxi
Bus
Train
Water Bus
Bike

Stepping into Showa

Ome Station

While Ome is technically in Tokyo, it seems like another planet compared to Shinjuku and Shibuya. Walking out of Ome Station, which is about one hour from Shinjuku on the Chuo Line, is like entering a Studio Ghibli film. Lush, quaint and nostalgic, Ome is a beautiful part of Tokyo with rivers, mountains and a small-town atmosphere. It's known as a “Showa town,” meaning that it reflects an old-school aesthetic and cultural experience from the post-war period. It's akin to stepping back in time to an era when life was simpler, movies had charm, and things weren’t designed by computer software. Showa style is still very popular in Japan and its distinctive look and feel can be found in other parts of Tokyo such as Itabashi's Oyama district. Ome, however, revels in it and even has a museum devoted to Showa and nostalgia.

10 mins

The evolution of Japanese railways

Ome Railway Park

A quick hike up a hillside stairway (about 15 minutes from Ome Station) leads you to Ome Railway Park which is an essential stop for any train fanatics out there. With an array of historical locomotives and carriages on display in the open air, cutesy kids’ activities, and the first car of the first ever Shinkansen (bullet train), it's a fascinating insight into the evolution of trains in Japan. The attached museum has various exhibits, including detailed train models. There are play facilities, as well as “Benkei,” a small steam locomotive for children, making it a great place for families. It's a compact museum and park, but one which anyone, even with a passing interest in trains, will find informative and absorbing.

Note: Ome Railway Park is closed for renovations until the end of 2025.

7 mins

A treasure trove of Japanese history

Showa Retro Goods Museum

As previously mentioned, a visit to Ome takes you back in time to the Showa era. With the town's signage and shotengai (shopping district), the Showa aesthetic has never disappeared. The Showa Retro Goods Museum, a short walk from the station, is like stepping back into simpler times. Small, but chock-a-block with Showa goods and memorabilia such as soft drink cans, cigarette packs from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, old movie posters, and sweets and toys from the post war era, it's a fascinating location, and worth the trip to Ome in itself. One of the highlights of the museum is the machine which prints out the front page of the newspaper from the day you were born. It's a great way to connect with the history and nostalgia of the area.

Note: Fee required to print newspaper.

20 mins

Getting to grips with Ome's artisanship

Kosoen Studio - Japanese Indigo Dyeing - Aizome

Ome was once one of Japan's largest textile producers. So it's no surprise that Kosoen Studio, a Japanese indigo dyeing (aizome) space, located about 25 minutes’ walk from Ome Station and near the banks of Tama River, is doing a roaring trade, collaborating with apparel makers who require their specialized artisanal approach. Visitors can actually see how indigo is made, and the studio has its own shop where you can purchase a spectrum of handcrafted garments, all in beautiful hues of indigo blue. Utilizing traditional methods of dyeing which date back to the Edo period (1603-1868), Kosoen Studio is keeping history, culture and tradition alive and reflects, ostensibly, Ome's profound connection with textiles, dyeing and artisanship.

15 mins

A riverside wonderland

Kamanofuchi Park

The final stop in Ome, before returning to the station, should always be the riverside Kamanofuchi Park. On the banks of the stunning Tama River, Kamanofuchi Park is a perfect spot for relaxing with family and friends or even for a waterfront stroll. Located inside the park itself is a 100-year-old thatched farmhouse which reflects the history which lives in the town of Ome. Visitors in late March and early April will be delighted by the abundance of cherry blossoms which line the banks of the Tama River, and it makes for a pleasant picnic spot and photography location. People also come to fish in the river, and during Tokyo's hot and humid summers it's been known for visitors to swim in the river, although naturally care should be taken.
Surrounded by glorious mountains and a dramatic river which runs through the town, Ome is a beautiful part of Tokyo and ideal for excursions. Rooted in history, culture and the Showa era, it's a place which wears its traditions on its sleeves. Quiet, tranquil and with wide open spaces, Ome is the antithesis of central Tokyo. It's a stunning location which deserves to be seen, experienced and lived.