Tokyo is home not only to neighborhoods famous as tourist destinations, but also to many appealing areas where local daily life thrives. Oimachi in Shinagawa City is one of them. In addition to its convenience as a transportation hub, it has long been loved as a livable neighborhood filled with shopping streets and restaurants. In this article, a Canadian writer who lives in Oimachi introduces the charms of the area from a resident’s perspective. Along with practical information, we bring you local ways to enjoy this distinctive neighborhood. Have you ever wondered, “what’s it like to live in Tokyo?” Glitzy tourist hubs like Shibuya or Ginza are fascinating, but far removed from the day to day reality of most Tokyoites. On your trip to Tokyo, take a step outside the Yamanote Circle for a slice of “real life” as a Tokyoite. The town of Oimachi gives a glimpse of Japanese lifestyles brimming with fun, convenience, safety, variety, peace and practicality. Whether you come to stay, or just for a day, this town packs a lot into a little.
Though packed with great food, bars, cafes and shopping, Oimachi is currently off the radar of most tourists. But with the grand opening of the massive complex, OIMACHI TRACKS, coming soon, this hidden gem might not be a secret much longer.

Explore the “5-minute City” the world is talking about

Ever since the COVID pandemic, experts worldwide have been buzzing about a “revolutionary” concept: the “15-minute city” where everything you need is within a 15-minute walk. Revolutionary? Oimachi has been perfecting this idea for a century already!
Everything you could desire seems within not 15, but more like a 5-minute walk. Whether you want to have a drink, relax at a sauna, do some work, buy a suit, pick up groceries, go out with friends, have some dessert, see a show, or zip around town, all this and tons more are just steps away.
Let's highlight a few of these points.

The ultimate travel base: direct access to all of Tokyo & beyond

As a base for travel, Oimachi is exceptional. Three train lines here offer direct access to an outstanding array of attractive locales. The Keihin-Tohoku Line hits the highlights of Tokyo Bay then continues to the museums and galleries of Ueno via the Shinkansen hubs of Shinagawa and Tokyo stations. The Rinkai / Saikyo line combo runs from the futuristic Odaiba through the tourist hotspots of Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro. Finally, the Tokyu Oimachi Line joins the boulevards of Jiyugaoka with riverside complexes at Futako-Tamagawa. All of this and much more is just one train from Oimachi Station.

Drinks with locals in “yokocho” alleys

For now, there may not be that many high-end French bistros in Oimachi. But this isn’t that kind of town. Oimachi exudes a relaxed, down-to-earth vibe, where all are welcome, epitomized in the "yokocho" here.
"Yokocho" are narrow laneways packed with tiny bars and eateries serving good food at bargain prices, an ideal spot to try "tachinomi" (standing bars) and "hashigo-zake" (bar hopping). Here, the usually laser-focused office workers can relax and chill out with the community. So pull up a stool and say "konnichiwa." You may be surprised by who is next to you. In June 2025, Hollywood star Brad Pitt even stopped by a Japanese dining bar in Oimachi!
Unfortunately, I missed Brad Pitt when he dropped by the bar in Oimachi, but I have met countless other interesting characters, from CEOs to flight attendants to professional gamers, many of whom spoke English. "Locals" in the heart of Tokyo might mean some of the most influential people in the world. A friendship started here might even change your life.

Restaurants in Oimachi thrive on the hard-won trust of regulars. Whether simple or sophisticated, you can count on getting good value-for-money, the prized virtue in Japan known as "cosu-pa" (cost performance).
Yokocho Map

Shopping in a "cosu-pa" paradise

Excellent "cosu-pa" is equally true about shopping around here. Oimachi is where smart parents come for both everyday necessities and a few luxuries, too. They may not be so interested in the flashiest new trends, but neither are they after the cheapest goods. They are looking for "cosu-pa," the sweet spot where high quality meets reasonable prices.
At big general stores, find everything necessary to live in comfort, from thermal underwear to gourmet apple pie. One such store is Ito-Yokado Oimachi Store, which is especially recommended for its unique selection of everyday essentials suited to Japanese lifestyles. When your legs get tired, feel free to use a coin-operated massage chair! Or head outside and explore the neighborhood's nine major shopping streets where you can buy anything from new shoes to a new condominium. Grocery shopping in the area overflows with variety. Wander from gourmet food boutiques filled with top-tier items, to wholesalers stocked with basic ingredients in bulk at bargain prices. Import specialty shops are packed with goodies from around the globe. Inside Ito-Yokado, the food section extends from the first basement floor to the ground floor, offering a wide variety of items ranging from the supermarket’s own boxed meals to sweets. On the ground floor, the food court "Oimachi Diner" features a selection of dishes from steak to ice cream, available to eat on site or take away.
Ito-Yokado Oimachi Store

Chill out in the city center away from the crowds

After a day of pounding the pavement in the urban jungle, stop by Oimachi for a dunk in one of the five neighborhood hot spring bath houses (many with open-air baths), or immerse yourself in deep relaxation at a sauna.
Families and couples alike might also enjoy hopping on the free shuttle bus to the Shinagawa Aquarium. Take in 180-degree views of around 70 species of sea creatures on a stroll through the 22-meter underwater tunnel.
Shinagawa Aquarium (Japanese site only)

For a breath of fresh air, remember that Tokyo Bay is just a 10-minute walk away. Head to Hanakaido Waterside Square to feel the sea breeze. Or take a break in the city center on one of the famous "Pencil Benches."
They’re located on the sidewalk next to a well-known stationery company’s office building, with part of each seat representing the pencil-making process.

Constant metamorphosis

Started from its large communal well ("oi" in Japanese), Oimachi has evolved from farmland to a Tokaido highway stop to a factory town, then a transport hub before morphing into today's ultimate "5-minute city."
OIMACHI TRACKS, a large-scale mixed-use complex with 26 stories above ground and three below, will open on March 28, 2026, as the crowning achievement of this evolution. The state-of-the-art facilities here will add a polished shine to the neighborhood's diversity. Beginning with TRACKS PARK, a new public plaza, more than 80 diverse shops are scheduled to open. In addition, entertainment and wellness facilities, including the spa and sauna Sauna Metsä, will also be developed. The OIMACHI TRACKS Business Tower offers co-working spaces alongside the Hotel & Residence Tower for a community feel with a flow of new faces. The 26th-floor rooftop bar of the HOTEL METROPOLITAN OIMACHI TRACKS TOKYO promises stellar views of the smooth crisscross of Oimachi's trains, and the glittering cityscape beyond.
OIMACHI TRACKS

The irony of being in a 5-minute city as diverse as Oimachi, is that it takes not minutes but a lifetime to explore. To start with, try a half-day jaunt to drop by the aquarium, do some shopping, hit the hot springs and get some good eats along the yokocho alleys. But a warning for travelers smart enough to choose this as their base: you may enjoy Oimachi so much that, like me, you never leave.

UPCOMING HOTELS ＆FACILITIES

From 2026 onward, new facilities will continue to open across Tokyo,
including OIMACHI TRACKS. Here’s a roundup of the key ones.

	OPEN YEAR	NAME	PLACE
HOTELS	"OPEN YEAR":February 2026	VILLA FONTAINE TOKYO HIBIYA	Shimbashi
HOTELS	OPEN YEAR:March 2026	HOTEL METROPOLITAN OIMACHI TRACKS TOKYO	Oimachi
HOTELS	OPEN YEAR:March 2026	1 HOTEL TOKYO	Akasaka
HOTELS	OPEN YEAR:May 2026	RHUMB LINE TOKYO	Yaesu
HOTELS	OPEN YEAR:July 2026	CROSS Suites TOKYO ASAKUSA	Asakusa
HOTELS	OPEN YEAR:June 2027	&Here TOKYO ASAKUSA	Asakusa
HOTELS	OPEN YEAR:Autumn 2027	Waldorf Astoria Tokyo Nihonbashi	Nihonbashi
HOTELS	OPEN YEAR:End of 2027	PULLMAN TOKYO GINZA	Ginza
HOTELS	OPEN YEAR:2028	Dorchester Collection Tokyo (tentative name)	Otemachi
FACILITIES	OPEN YEAR:January 2026	THE SUMO LIVE RESTAURANT HIRAKUZA GINZA TOKYO	Ginza
FACILITIES	OPEN YEAR:February 2026	KAWAII MONSTER LAND	Harajuku
FACILITIES	OPEN YEAR:March 2026	TOKYO DREAM PARK	Ariake
FACILITIES	OPEN YEAR:March 2026	OIMACHI TRACKS	Oimachi
FACILITIES	OPEN YEAR:March 2026	MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives	Takanawa Gateway
FACILITIES	OPEN YEAR:March 2026	ODAIBA FOUNTAIN	Odaiba
FACILITIES	OPEN YEAR:March 31, 2026	EDO-TOKYO MUSEUM (Renovation)	Ryogoku
FACILITIES	OPEN YEAR:Spring 2026	&KASEN	Western Tama Area
FACILITIES	OPEN YEAR:Summer 2026	Shibuya LOVEZ	Shibuya
FACILITIES	OPEN YEAR:Autumn 2026	TOFROM YAESU TOWER	Yaesu
FACILITIES	OPEN YEAR:2028	Torch Tower	Otemachi