Waterfront Art Route in Setagaya

Discover one of the capital's most diverse creative hubs

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Updated: October 3, 2024

Discover one of the capital's most diverse creative hubs

A guide to the best waterfront areas of Setagaya City. From art and parks to station areas, water is never far from reach in this beautiful and gentile neighborhood.

General Tips

The garden and architecture of the Gotoh Museum alone are worth the trip.
Futakotamagawa has become a very trendy area recently and has a plethora of shopping and entertainment complexes around the station.
Setagaya Art Museum has a very charming restaurant with beautiful views of Kinuta Park.

Map Legend

Walking
Taxi
Bus
Train
Water Bus

Entryway to the delights of Setagaya City

Yōga Station

In Setagaya City you can experience a lot of nature and culture such as fashion and art. Yōga is the ideal starting point for this tour around some of Setegaya's most treasured waterfront spots and displays a multitude of things to do in Setagaya. With a spectacular amphitheatre-like entrance, Yōga Station and its surrounding areas are peaceful and calm but with enough coffee shops, stores and amenities to make it a lovely place to live or visit. About 20minutes from the station you'll come across the stunning, and huge, Kinuta Park which also houses Setagaya Art Museum, the first stop on the itinerary.

20 mins

Stunning space holding domestic and international art

Setagaya Art Museum

Established in 1986 and designed by Japanese architect Shozo Uchii, Setagaya Art Museum is a spacious art space devoted to showcasing the best of domestic and international art only a few minutes from the lush streams and woods of Kinuta Park. With a cafe and French restaurant, Le Jardin, which has outdoor seating, Setagaya Art Museum isn't just a museum, it's a destination in its own right. With exhibitions highlighting local, Setagaya-based artists, a permanent collection, and a range of international shows. Past exhibits have even included the likes of Basquiat and Rauschenberg. It's a calm and entrancing museum and a must-visit destination while visiting Setagaya City.

5 mins

Enjoy the expanse of nature and charming streams

Kinuta Park

Famous for its hanami (cherry blossom viewing) opportunities and massive 390,000 m2 size, Kinuta Park is the ideal picnic spot and in addition to its wooded areas also hosts baseball fields, soccer pitches and cycling courses making it perfect for outdoors and sporting enthusiasts. Another point about Kinuta Park is that it also hosts a series of kamado (stove bench) which can be used to cook on during any disasters or emergencies. These can be seen scattered throughout the park itself. The park has five bridges including one suspension bridge which cross over the streams and water which crisscross the park area. Similar to a mini hike, wear some comfortable shoes and traverse the park grounds, peering into lush streams and ravines whilst simultaneously taking in the bountiful nature on offer.

30 mins

A hidden treasure

The Gotoh Museum

A leisurely stroll on your way to the Futakotamagawa area is the beautiful and historical Gotoh Museum. Founded by the influential businessman Gotoh Keita (1882-1959), the collection originally began from a collection of Buddhist sutras that Gotoh picked up on his business trips to the old capital of Nara. He later supplemented this collection of sutras with various cultural artifacts ranging from Zen calligraphy to an illustrated handscroll of The Tale of Genji. Explore Japanese and Chinese history through this carefully curated collection of works before heading towards Tama River.

7 mins

A riverside retreat minutes from the station

Futakotamagawa Park

As you near Futakotamagawa (aka Nikotama to Tokyoites) it becomes slightly more crowded near the station area. However, only a few minutes from the station itself is the serene and scenic Futakotamagawa Park which is ideal for resting after the walk from Yōga. It features Kishin-en, a beautifully designed Japanese garden and there are lookout points where you can see the Tanzawa mountains and even, on a clear day, Mount Fuji. There are also kids playgrounds, and grassy sections which lend themselves to ball sports and even family picnics.