They’re tearing down our beloved Shimokitazawa station and a new one will be completed sometime in the next decade. Shops along the fringe are slowly disappearing and walls to hide the destruction have been erected without notice. Along these walls they’ve posted several black and white photos of Shimokitazawa station taken 30, maybe 40 years ago. As I was examining them, and trying unsuccessfully to determine what part of the station it was now, I wondered if people back then also protested the destruction and construction of what was to become the current station. And if in 50 or so years people will protest the destruction of the station that they’re building now. At any rate, let me try to explain what these photos are of. Apologies to all of you who’ve never been Japan, let alone to this extremely local part of Tokyo. You can ignore this post and click on one of the random photos to look at something else.
These 2 photos appear to be the main entrance to the platform of the Keio Inokashira line. That would be where the west exit is now. The ticket gate is in the spot which is now the Hanko shop and Step runner shoe shop.
The photo on the left is of the platform as you are crossing the Inokashira line tracks at the west exit. The entrance to the station, shown in the first 2 photos can be seen here at the right edge. The second photo was taken from the platform looking at what’s now the north exit. You can see the covered staircase which goes up, over and probably down to the Odakyu line which is half underground. Not sure if the Odakyu line was even built at that time but it definitely looks like there’s something there.
This photo was taken from the complete opposite side looking at the elevated platform of the Inokashira line. If you look closely you can see the phone booth and signs which are in both photos. This is about where AM/PM and Mizuho Bank are except the photo was taken at a high angle. I took a present day photo from roughly the same spot so you could compare.
Did you find this interesting? If so, maybe you want to check out my post about Shibuya in 1985.
Do you think most of the train stations in the Tokyo area were all rebuilt post war? A lot of stations are definitely in need of a fix up in some ways.. Interesting how people can have such a deep connection with the station when it’s their main hub. Really liked your previous post on Shimokitazawa too. Reminded me how every station you got off at had its own flavour.
I think you’ll have a hard time finding any building in Tokyo that was built before the war let alone train stations. Shimokita has definitely seen better days. I’m not so much attached to it but I do like to look at old photos. Personally, I can’t wait for all the construction to be over.
Pretty much every Friday I take a walk in Waikiki where I spent a chunk of my life. It’s this weird feeling - I think I described it to a friend as “being disenfranchised” - like it once was home and greeted me with open arms, but “it welcomes me as it’s own no more”. This post reminded me of this - so many once busy, vital landmarks now torn down and rebuilt over. I stand in front of a lot of them and try to figure out where each piece was. Great post. Thanks.
This what happens when you start getting old(er)
I think it’s stupid. Some of those newly-built stations have no character at all, like some of the newer lines in Osaka.
Roy-san,
Great blog. All of it. Thanks for the post about Shimokita. I’ve lived here all of my adult life and it is heart-breaking. “Master” of the Lady Jane (our best known jazz bar) said in an interview, “The culture of Shimokita was born in the back alleys and that’s what they have set out to destroy.” But, you can’t fight City Hall and the big corporations (Odakyu). Too much money to be made/change hands in tearing down and “re-building.” We’ll live with it, but I suspect there will be a few novels written about “life in the old days” here.
Kathryn
P.S. Thanks for the Koyama Driving School info. Found it first on your blog. Now a student, hoping to finish up in April.
Shimokita, and Lady Jane, have already been immortalized in movie form recently, in the humorous film “otoko wa sore o gaman dekinai” (男はそれを我慢できない) (2006) by SHINDO Mitsuo. Worth a check!
OMG! I feel as if my heart was ripped out of my body just now, Shimokitazawa was the heart and soul of my experience in Japan, which spanned a couple of years. I encourage all people I know to go and check it out when they visit Tokyo, because the area had a certain untouchable magic to it that I wanted people to see and feel.
I remember when I used to love getting lost in the north side after work by myself or just hanging out with students at different bars and izakayas. I remember when TGIF moved into the neighborhood and sensed the rapid redevelopment that seem inevitable. Sad. I will have to go back soon and visit some of my favorite haunts and try to mend the broken pieces of my heart.
Wow! I couldn’t comment on the 1985 Shibuya post so I’ll just say that I loved it here (hope you don’t mind). I love seeing old photos and footage of Japan, but as someone who can’t read Japanese it’s almost impossible to google for. Even my Japanese acquaintances have no idea where to find these pics, so THANKS!
I live just down the road in Ikenoue and I find the reconstruction of Shimo station and the associated tunnneling is a fascinating exercise in civil engineering.
I still haven’t figured out how the railway lines will go under the road on the west side on the construction area.
Also on the Shinjuku side where will the express lines come up in relation to the other two lines and where will they connect ?
I see all the posters, but none of them fully explain how it’s all going to fit together.
Are there any artists impressions of what the new Shimo station will look like ?