Waseda is an area that is often overlooked by those who aren’t local or studying on campus. It shouldn’t be, though, as there are serene gardens, unusual buildings and numerous Cafes and restaurants to visit. Here’s our Waseda area guide.
What To Do in Waseda
Waseda University Main Campus
On campus, you can find museums which are open to the public and dedicated to the university’s history as well as some of its most celebrated alumni and professors.
The Waseda University Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, for instance, is named after Tsubouchi Shoyo, best known for his translations of William Shakespeare into Japanese. It is a place dedicated to the history of drama both inside and outside of Japan.
There are also numerous aesthetically pleasing work and study spaces, such as the Haruki Murakami Library, a celebration of his works on the campus of his alma mater.
Green Spaces and Unusual Architecture
Despite its proximity to busy and built-up areas like central Shinjuku, it’s easy to escape to somewhere green within Waseda. Streets are lined with bushes and trees that flower at multiple times throughout the year.
Visit a traditional Japanese garden named Higo Hosokawa Garden across the river, Okuma Garden on campus or Ana Hachimangu Shrine near Waseda Station.
Opposite the shrine is Toyama Park, next to the university’s Toyama Campus, where students and residents often go to practice sports. If you want to bring some of the greenery back home with you, check out the garden center, Green Shop Oto no Ha and the adjoining Vegetable Club cafe.
Okuma Auditorium hosts numerous events open to the public with a focus on Japanese culture and history, and its shape is synonymous with the university. As such, its iconic clock tower can be found on lots of university merchandise.
As well as the auditorium, you can enjoy some unique architecture in other parts of Waseda, such as the striking, modernist, steel-covered cathedral designed by Kenzo Tange. Opposite the garden center, the St. Mary’s Cathedral site even includes a replica of the grotto at Lourdes.
Closer to the station is the avant-garde and intricately decorated El Dorado building, designed by Von Jour Caux, also known as the “Gaudi of Japan.”
Cafes and Food Spots
There is no shortage of cafes to try out in Waseda. Visit Uni.Shop & cafe 125 opposite Okuma Garden to feel at one with nature.
Coffee aficionados must try Bikas Coffee next to the river, where fresh coffee beans are ground before your eyes. Shiru Cafe on the high street, meanwhile, is very popular for students.
If the European vibe of Waseda has got you in the mood for pizza, try out Pizzeria Takata Bokusya, which uses a real stone pizza oven.
For those feeling something more traditional, choose from one of the many washoku restaurants on Okuma-dori. Just avoid going between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. where possible, to escape the droves of students hoping to cram in a hot meal before their next class.
There are also many Indian restaurants around this street, such as Panas, which is perfect for a quick delicious meal. Vegans can also try out Great Lakes. English-friendly and entirely plant-based, the burgers and ice creams are a must-try.
Getting to Waseda
Waseda is within walking distance from the happening Takadanobaba area and just a number 77 bus ride away from the center of Shinjuku. It also boasts a Sakura Tram stop on the Toden Arakawa Line.
