It’s that time of year again when Time Out reveals the most vibrant and exciting places on the planet by way of the World’s Coolest Neighbourhoods ranking. And we couldn’t be prouder to report that Tokyo’s Jimbocho is ranked No. 1 (!) on the 2025 edition of the list.
Based on local insights and insider expertise gleaned through Time Out’s comprehensive network of on-the-ground writers and editors, the survey examined city neighbourhoods across the planet based on livability metrics including culture, community, liveability, nightlife, food and drink, street life and that hard-to-define sense of ‘nowness’. This year, Jimbocho emerged not only as the capital’s coolest neighbourhood, but as the vibiest district in the world.
The hangout of choice for generations of Tokyo intellectuals, the historic university enclave and book-lover’s paradise enjoys a charmed existence just a quick stroll away from the city’s most high-powered business districts. It’s best known for its around 130 second-hand bookstores, including the venerable Komiyama Shoten and Kitazawa Bookstore. Most of these are housed in low, slightly antiquated mixed-use buildings they share with old-school coffeeshops and curry houses.
While this is a neighbourhood where the past vividly informs the present, the steady influx of new student cohorts lends Jimbocho an energetic undercurrent – one that’s now surging. In the backstreets, a new breed of intimate music clubs, authentic Indian curry spots, cool cafés and indie booksellers like Stacks Bookstore are adding fresh layers to a place that feels like the ideal remedy to the anxieties and relentless pace of digital life.
One of our all-time favourite spots in the neighbourhood is Saboru, a 70-year-old café famed for its pizza toast and retro charm, while nearby Walkabout Coffee offers more contemporary caffeinated drinks, many of them inspired by Australia’s speciality coffee scene. For a taste of the local curry culture, dig into the spice- and fruit-rich concoctions at Curry Bondy or check out Sangatsu no Mizu, winner of the local curry contest in 2024.
You’ll also want to hit up Cocktail Works Jimbocho for a craft gin cocktail or go for a cultured nightcap at Yon, a multi-tasking art gallery, bar and listening room. Check out our full Jimbocho guide for a smattering of more can’t-miss spots, from mountain-inspired noodle joints to a museum dedicated to extinct media formats.
As for the amazing neighbourhoods elsewhere in the world that still aren’t quite as cool as Jimbocho right now, we’ve got Borgerhout in Antwerp, Belgium at No. 2, followed by Barra Funda in São Paulo, Brazil at No. 3 and London’s Camberwell at No. 4. Anyway, we’re off to open a bottle of sparkling sake to celebrate. Kanpai!
For more, check out the full list of the World’s Coolest Neighbourhoods for 2025.
More from Time Out Tokyo
Have you spotted Tokyo’s elusive free-roaming street florists?
2 Tokyo pizzerias are in the 50 Top Pizza World list for 2025
Roppongi Art Night 2025 brings urban interventions and cutting-edge Korean perspectives to Tokyo
A stunning new art installation by Julian Opie has taken over the Ginza Six atrium
Five million red spider lilies are now blooming at this Saitama park
Want to be the first to know what’s cool in Tokyo? Sign up to our newsletter for the latest updates from Tokyo and Japan.