Living in Daikanyama, Tokyo: Rent, Commutes and Who It Really Suits

Last reviewed 8 Nov 2026 · 30 min read

Daikanyama (代官山) has a reputation that arrives long before you do. Low-rise streets, a famous bookstore, boutiques where the shop assistant knows the designer. All of that is real.

This guide is for people who will live in Daikanyama, not visit it for an afternoon. We'll give you the rent picture, the commute, the hills, the grocery problem and the flood maps, and we'll say plainly who should look elsewhere.

We rebuilt this guide from scratch. The first half of our research came from Japanese-language sources: ward and city pages, railway data, and what Japanese residents write about the area. Only after that did we read what English-language sources say, and the two do not always agree.

Is Daikanyama a Good Place to Live?

Yes, if you want a quiet, good-looking neighborhood two to three minutes from Shibuya by train and you can live with high rent and a short list of everyday shops.

No, if you want cheap groceries, flat streets, late-night food or a direct JR line. Daikanyama is a place people choose for how it feels, and the trade-offs are real.

Here is the short version of what the research turned up:

• The station is small. In fiscal 2025 about 29,162 people a day used Daikanyama Station, against 185,355 at Naka-Meguro and 425,889 at Shibuya on the same Tokyu Toyoko Line.
• The only line is the Tokyu Toyoko Line. There's no JR, no subway.
• Rent runs well above the Shibuya Ward average for the same layouts, and the gap widens as the apartments get bigger.
• Many streets are steep and narrow, and Japanese residents say the neighborhood feels dark and empty late at night.
• It's quiet and, by resident accounts, very safe. We couldn't retrieve a current crime figure, and we say so in the safety section below.

The honest verdict comes at the end of this guide. If you only read one more section, make it the one on what Japanese and expat sources say differently.

Where Is Daikanyama?

Daikanyama is a small slice of western central Tokyo between Shibuya and Naka-Meguro, and it doesn't follow a single ward boundary.

Most of what people call Daikanyama sits in Shibuya Ward (渋谷区). The Hillside Terrace complex, for example, lists addresses in Sarugaku-cho (猿楽町) and Hachiyama-cho (鉢山町), both in Shibuya, and rental listings use Daikanyama-cho (代官山町). But the Saigoyama Park hillside that locals treat as part of the neighborhood is at Aobadai in Meguro City (目黒区), according to Meguro City's own park page. These pages are published in Japanese.

That matters more than it sounds. Your resident registration, your ward office, your trash collection rules and your public school district follow the address on your lease, not the name on the station.

The area is compact. Hillside Terrace's own access notes, from the complex's official site, put it about 3 minutes on foot from Daikanyama Station, 7 minutes from Naka-Meguro Station and 10 minutes from Ebisu Station. Other sources quote longer walks to the same neighbors, in the 10 to 15 minute range, which is a reminder that walking times depend on where you start.

Daikanyama is small enough to walk across, and the walk will include a hill.

Transport Access and Commute Times

Daikanyama's commute is short but it all runs through Shibuya, so your day depends on one line.

Daikanyama is served only by the Tokyu Toyoko Line, according to the GO TOKYO destination page run by the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau. That page lists the station as about a 15-minute walk from Shibuya and a 10-minute walk from Ebisu. A Japanese resident review we read puts the ride to Shibuya at about 3 minutes, and an English-language rental guide says about 2, so treat it as 2 to 3 minutes door to platform.

Tokyu publishes station-by-station passenger counts every year. In fiscal 2025 the figures were 29,162 people a day at Daikanyama, up 1.4% on the year before. Naka-Meguro, one stop away, handled 185,355 and Shibuya handled 425,889 on the Toyoko Line.

A station that small is part of why the neighborhood feels calm. It's also why the streets near the platform thin out early in the evening.

Commute Times from Daikanyama Station

The table below uses the times that we could trace to a published source. We left out Ikebukuro and Otemachi because we couldn't verify a time for either, and we'd rather give you a gap than a guess.

Destination	Train Line	Approx. Time	Why It Matters
Shibuya	Tokyu Toyoko Line	2 to 3 min	The hub for the Yamanote, Ginza, Hanzomon and Fukutoshin lines
Naka-Meguro	Tokyu Toyoko Line	About 1 min	Connects to the Hibiya Line
Shinjuku	Toyoko Line to Shibuya, then transfer	About 20 min	The usual route for west-side offices
Tokyo Station	Toyoko Line to Shibuya, then transfer	About 35 min	One transfer at Shibuya

Times are the figures published on the GO TOKYO destination page, with the Shibuya and Naka-Meguro rides taken from resident and rental-guide descriptions. Platform waits and transfer walks vary, and Shibuya Station is large. Check your own route before you sign.

Every route out of Daikanyama passes through Shibuya, and Shibuya Station is one of the more confusing transfers in Japan. If you commute to a JR line, the transfer there can eat five to ten minutes you won't see on a route planner.

If you're weighing Daikanyama against the next stations along the same line, our guide to living in Nakameguro covers the canal-side neighborhood one stop away.

Getting to Haneda and Narita

Haneda is manageable from Daikanyama and Narita is a long day.

GO TOKYO lists the trip to Haneda Airport at about 55 minutes by train and the trip to Narita Airport at about 1 hour 50 minutes. Those are the published figures; real journeys depend on your luggage, your transfers and the time of day.

If you travel often for work, factor that in. A taxi to Haneda from this part of Tokyo is a realistic option for some residents, but we don't have a verified fare, so we won't quote one.

Rent in Daikanyama

Rent is the first thing that stops people, and it deserves a straight answer: Daikanyama is expensive, and the exact numbers depend heavily on the building.

We found three kinds of evidence, and they don't line up perfectly.

The first is a station-level average by layout from a major Japanese rental portal, surveyed on 27 February 2023 and republished in a 2025 article. It's the only source we found that covers every layout from 1R to 3LDK, but it's now almost four years old, so use it for the shape of the market rather than for today's price.

The second is a snapshot of what's actually listed. On 7 November 2026 we reviewed the listings registered for Daikanyama-cho in the previous nine days on a Japanese rental site. There were only eight, and six were 1LDKs asking ¥182,000, ¥182,000, ¥295,000, ¥325,000, ¥341,000 and ¥403,000, which averages ¥288,000. That sample is tiny and it excludes management fees, so it shows the spread more than the market.

The third is what furnished-apartment operators publish for the area: roughly ¥95,000 to ¥140,000 for a studio, ¥150,000 to ¥220,000 for a 1LDK and ¥230,000 to ¥350,000 for a 2LDK. Those are marketing ranges from a company that rents furnished units, so read them as an indication of the lower and mid band.

Put together, a 1LDK in Daikanyama can plausibly cost anywhere from about ¥180,000 to over ¥400,000 depending on age, size and distance from the station.

Layout	Average Rent (per month)	Best For
1R (ワンルーム)	~¥135,100	Singles who want the address and little else
1K	~¥136,100	Singles wanting a separate kitchen
1DK	~¥152,400	Singles or a couple who work from home
1LDK	~¥262,000	Couples, or singles who want a real living room
2LDK	~¥396,500	Couples with a guest room or an office
3LDK	~¥577,500	Families who can afford the address

Source: Japanese rental market data, station-level survey dated 27 February 2023. Treat these as dated market averages rather than fixed ceilings, and expect current asking rents to be higher.

The jump from 1K to 1LDK, roughly ¥126,000 a month in this survey, is the most important line in the table. Daikanyama is cheap for neither, but it punishes the person who wants a second room.

To see how that compares across the ward, the same survey gives Shibuya Ward as a whole an average of ¥107,500 for a 1K and ¥232,100 for a 1LDK. Daikanyama sits clearly above both.

Move-In Costs

Move-in costs in Japan are a bundle of one-off payments, and they can add up to four or five months of rent before you've unpacked.

Below is a worked example for an apartment at ¥250,000 a month. It's an illustration of how the pieces stack up, not a quote, and your contract may include more or fewer items.

• First month's rent: ¥250,000
• Security deposit (shikikin, 敷金), assuming one month: ¥250,000
• Key money (reikin, 礼金), assuming one month: ¥250,000
• Agency fee, assuming one month plus 10% tax: ¥275,000
• Guarantor company fee, assuming half a month: ¥125,000
• Estimated total: ¥1,150,000

That's 4.6 months of rent. Fire insurance, lock exchange and cleaning fees usually come on top, and the amounts vary by contract.

Furnished-apartment operators describe traditional leases in the area as carrying a deposit of one to two months, key money of zero to two months, and a guarantor or guarantor-company fee. Those ranges are a fair guide to what to expect, and the zero-key-money buildings are worth hunting for because they take a full month off the bill.

We can filter for no key money when we search for you. It's one of the more useful filters at this price level.

Renting in Daikanyama as a Foreign Resident

The screening in Daikanyama is the same as anywhere in Tokyo, and the stock is small.

Most landlords and guarantor companies look at your income, your employer, your visa length and your Japanese ability, in roughly that order. At ¥250,000 a month, the income test bites: lease screening commonly looks for rent to be a fraction of monthly earnings, and an employer-sponsored lease changes the picture entirely.

One more thing the Japanese resident reviews flag is the small number of rental units in the area. If you want a specific building, you may wait.

If an application has been turned down before, our guide to why apartment rental applications get rejected for foreigners walks through the usual causes and the fixes.

At E-Housing, we place foreign residents in this part of Tokyo regularly, and we can tell you quickly whether a building has a history of accepting international tenants.

What Japanese Residents Say, and What Expat Sources Say

The two groups describe the same streets differently, and the gap between them is the most useful thing in this guide.

Japanese resident reviews we read focus on the friction of daily life. They describe steep streets that are hard with a stroller or a walker. They say the neighborhood is dark and quiet at night, with few streetlights and few late-night shops. They mention that the supermarkets are high-end, that cheaper groceries mean a trip to neighboring Meguro, and that there are few rental properties and few restaurants compared with how famous the name is. They also say it's very safe, that the nearby embassies add to that feeling, and that women living alone feel comfortable.

English-language sources focus on lifestyle. They describe a quiet, tree-lined district with a strong boutique and café scene, a short ride to Shibuya, and walkable neighbors in Naka-Meguro, Ebisu and Hiroo. The drawbacks they mention are polite ones: rent is higher than in many parts of Tokyo, there's no direct JR access, and there's less practical infrastructure than in Ebisu or Shibuya.

One caution on the Japanese side: the resident reviews we found are few and date from between 2011 and 2017. They describe real conditions, but some shops may have changed since. We have used them for what residents care about, and we have not carried any number from them into this guide.

One caution on the English side: several of the English-language guides are published by agencies and furnished-apartment operators, so they have a reason to sell the neighborhood.

Where they agree is telling. Both say Daikanyama is quiet, close to Shibuya, safe-feeling and expensive. Where they split is on how much the hills and the thin shopping matter. A visitor or a short-stay resident barely notices. Someone doing the weekly shop by bicycle in July does.

The takeaway is simple: the lifestyle is what you're paying for, and the daily logistics are what you're putting up with.

Supermarkets and Daily Shopping

Daikanyama is a neighborhood for cafés and design shops, and the weekly grocery shop is its weak spot.

The Japanese resident reviews we read mention a Peacock Store supermarket connected directly to the station as the main convenience, and Maruetsu as one of the few other options. They describe the supermarkets as mostly high-end and say people who want cheaper food go to neighboring Meguro. Those reviews are old, so confirm that each store is still open at the address you care about before it factors into your decision.

The Daikanyama T-SITE complex also houses FOOD & COMPANY, an organic grocery, according to GO TOKYO. That's good for specialty items and gifts. It isn't a substitute for a regular supermarket.

Convenience stores and drugstores are easy to find in the same reviews, which counted several of each within five minutes' walk of the station. We haven't repeated those counts, because the survey behind them is undated.

If you need to cook for a family every night, test the walk to your nearest supermarket from the apartment you're considering. On a hill, with bags, in August.

Daikanyama gives you a lovely walk to a mediocre grocery run, and you should decide how much that matters before you sign.

Food and Local Character

The character of Daikanyama is low-rise, design-conscious and quiet, and a handful of places define it.

Daikanyama T-SITE is the anchor. GO TOKYO describes it as a complex with the Daikanyama Tsutaya Bookstore, called a "library in the forest" and spread across three buildings. It has a magazine street, themed book corners and a concierge service, and it houses the restaurant Ivy Place (with a bar and terrace seating) and a lounge.

Hillside Terrace is the other. The official site lists around 30 tenants, from cafés and restaurants like Hillside Café and a Western-style restaurant called KUCHIBUE, to fashion and interiors including a Conran Shop store, galleries and a dental clinic. It also has a deli, Hillside Pantry, which GO TOKYO places near the Old Yamate-dori area. A building with a dentist and a gallery is a good sign that people actually live nearby.

Behind Hillside Terrace is the Kyu Asakura House (旧朝倉家住宅), a residence built in 1919 with a garden. GO TOKYO says anyone can visit. We haven't verified current opening hours or admission, so check before you go.

Log Road Daikanyama is built on the former Tokyu Toyoko Line tracks. It's a row of wooden, cottage-style buildings with shops and cafés, and in the evening Spring Valley Brewery Tokyo serves craft beer from casks.

That's a short list, and it's deliberate. The honest picture is that Daikanyama has a small number of excellent places and not much in between.

If you want a different dinner every night within five minutes' walk, Ebisu and Naka-Meguro are better bets.

Daikanyama is a place to have a favorite café and a favorite bookstore, not a place to eat out thirty nights a month.

Parks and Green Space

Daikanyama's green space is a hillside park and a lot of private gardens, and the best of it is just over the Meguro border.

Saigoyama Park (西郷山公園) is the one worth knowing. Meguro City's official page gives its address as 2-10-28 Aobadai, its area as 10,549.65 square meters, its opening as 28 May 1981, and the walk from Daikanyama Station as about 15 minutes. It sits on the edge of a plateau slope, has a roughly 20-meter artificial waterfall, an observation deck, and a lawn plaza with an artificial stream built for children.

A Tokyu article published in January 2026 adds some useful detail. It says the park is about 5 minutes on foot from the Tsutaya Books at T-SITE, that Mount Fuji is visible on clear winter days and at sunset, and that the early-blooming Kawazu cherry trees give it a long blossom season. Paved paths suit strollers and pets are welcome. The waterfall runs in summer only, reportedly during two time windows in the day, and there is no parking.

Inside the park, Green Cafe Saigoyama is open 8:30 to 17:30 and closed Tuesdays, according to the same article. Hours can change, so confirm before you make a plan around it.

Apart from the park, the green in Daikanyama is mostly the trees along residential streets and the gardens attached to old houses. That's a pleasant view from your window. It isn't a place to run laps.

If a big park with lawns matters to you, you'll want to be within easy reach of Saigoyama or travel to a larger one further out.

For a sense of what a smaller, quieter part of Shibuya looks like by comparison, our guide to Ebisu covers the next neighborhood along.

Daikanyama's green spaces are small, steep and good, and they're worth the climb.

Safety and Disaster Risk

Residents describe Daikanyama as very safe, but we could not retrieve a current official crime figure for it, and we won't invent one.

Japanese resident reviews describe the area as quiet and safe, including for women living alone, and point to nearby embassies as part of the reason. One of them mentions a single case of street harassment further from the station, so the usual advice about staying on lit routes at night applies here as anywhere. The reviews are old, and their crime-map comparison was drawn from a map of 2017 incidents, which is why we haven't repeated those counts.

Shibuya Ward publishes a safety and security patrol dashboard with crime counts for the ward. The data sits on a dashboard index at the ward's data page. We weren't able to read the numbers from the dashboard itself, so open it directly if you want the latest ward-level figures.

The quiet nighttime streets cut both ways. Fewer people around means fewer problems, and also fewer eyes if something goes wrong.

Checking the Hazard Maps for Your Address

Disaster risk in Tokyo depends on the street, so look up the exact address before you sign.

Shibuya Ward publishes its hazard maps on its disaster prevention map page. It lists a flood hazard map (updated in May 2025 for the Kanda and Shibuya River basins), a landslide danger locations map produced by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and two earthquake maps that rate building collapse risk and shaking susceptibility in 50-meter grids across seven levels.

The ward's flood hazard page explains that the flood map assumes the maximum-scale rainfall scenario of 153 mm in one hour and 690 mm over 24 hours, and that it combines river overflow with urban stormwater flooding. The Japanese map was revised in April 2026. The foreign-language PDFs (English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Korean) were produced in March 2021, so they may be out of date, and the Japanese version should win in any disagreement.

The ward describes much of its terrain as plateau cut by the Shibuya River's valleys, which is why Shibuya Station sits in a bowl. Daikanyama is on the slopes above and beside those valleys. That's general topography, not a risk rating. We could not retrieve an address-level flood, landslide or shaking rating for any street in Daikanyama, and we won't guess one.

In practice, ask three questions about any apartment: is it at the bottom of a slope, is it on a steep hillside, and when was the building built. Buildings under the post-1981 earthquake standard are safer than older ones.

To compare flood exposure across the city before you narrow down a neighborhood, our guide to the flood-safe areas of Tokyo is a practical place to start.

The best safety check you can run is an address-by-address look at the official maps, and it takes ten minutes.

Schools and Families

Daikanyama works for families who can afford it, but we couldn't verify enough about local schools to give you a recommendation.

We did not retrieve official school-zone information for Daikanyama addresses, and we did not verify the commuting distance to any international school. Because the neighborhood straddles Shibuya and Meguro, the public school district depends on your exact address, and the two wards run separate systems. Ask the ward office, or ask us before you sign, because it's much harder to fix after the lease starts.

What we can say from the resident reviews is that steep, narrow streets are hard with a stroller, and that the park at Saigoyama has gentle paths and a play lawn that suit small children.

Space is the other issue. A 3LDK in this survey averaged ¥577,500 a month, and that's not a figure most families budget for.

If you're moving with children, start the conversation about schools before the apartment search, not after.

Best Areas Within Daikanyama

The name covers several distinct pockets, and the feel changes block by block.

Sarugaku-cho (猿楽町) is where Hillside Terrace's E wing is listed. It's the shopping and café core, and the streets nearest it are the busiest in the neighborhood by Daikanyama's quiet standards.

Daikanyama-cho (代官山町) is the address used on current rental listings for apartments closest to the station. It's the best bet for a short walk to the platform.

Hachiyama-cho (鉢山町) appears in Hillside Terrace's gallery address and sits on the quieter residential side.

Aobadai (青葉台) is in Meguro City, per the Saigoyama Park address. It's the pocket people often mean when they say they live near the park, and it will put you under Meguro's ward office rather than Shibuya's. An English-language guide also names Nanpeidai as a residential neighborhood in the same area.

If you're choosing between pockets, decide on the park, the station and the grocery run first. They pull in different directions.

The closer to Hillside Terrace and the station, the higher the rent and the busier the street.

Redevelopment and What Is Changing

Daikanyama has already been rebuilt once, and the visible evidence is Log Road.

GO TOKYO says Log Road was built on the former Tokyu Toyoko Line tracks. An English-language guide describes the underground relocation of the line between Shibuya and Daikanyama stations as the change that created new commercial space. We haven't verified the dates of that work from a primary source, so we won't put years on it.

We also didn't find a confirmed, current redevelopment plan for the area, so we're not going to predict one. If a specific building you're considering sits next to a development site, ask the agent and check the ward's building notices.

The neighborhood's real selling point is that very little changes, and that's also what keeps the rent where it is.

Pros and Cons of Living in Daikanyama

The case for Daikanyama is atmosphere and access. The case against is price and practicality.

Pros:

• You're two to three minutes from Shibuya by train, and about a minute from Naka-Meguro.
• The streets are quiet, low-rise and tree-lined, and residents describe them as very safe.
• T-SITE, Hillside Terrace and Log Road give you a few excellent places within a short walk.
• Ebisu and Naka-Meguro are within a 7 to 15 minute walk, depending on where you start.
• Saigoyama Park is a 15-minute walk away, with views and a waterfall in summer.

Cons:

• Rent is high, and a second room costs sharply more.
• Everything goes through Shibuya, and there's no JR or subway line at the station.
• Streets are steep and often narrow, which is hard with strollers or mobility needs.
• Groceries are expensive and the choice is limited.
• Evenings are quiet and, by resident accounts, dark, with few late-night options.
• The stock of rental apartments is small, so you may wait for the right one.

An honest list has to include the fact that most of the pros are about how Daikanyama feels and most of the cons are about how it functions.

Who Should Live in Daikanyama

Daikanyama suits people who value a calm base and have the budget to match.

It works well for professionals who work in or near Shibuya and want a short ride home to a quiet street. It suits creative workers who like being near design shops, galleries and a good bookstore. It suits couples who don't mind a smaller apartment in exchange for the address. And it suits people who want to be in the Shibuya, Ebisu and Naka-Meguro triangle without living on a busy street.

If you work from home, the quiet is a genuine benefit, and the cafés are a short walk away.

Who May Not Like Daikanyama

Several kinds of renter will be happier elsewhere, and we'd rather say so now.

If your budget is under about ¥150,000 for a one-bedroom, Daikanyama will be a struggle. The 1LDK average in the 2023 survey was ¥262,000, and recent listings ran higher.

If you do most of your shopping at a large supermarket, the local options will frustrate you. If you rely on a stroller, a wheelchair or a heavy bicycle, the hills will wear you down. If you want late-night restaurants and bars at your door, Naka-Meguro, Ebisu or Shibuya itself will suit you better.

If you commute on a JR line, the Shibuya transfer adds time and effort every day. And if you want a lot of space for the money, the same budget buys a much larger apartment in several other wards.

Daikanyama is not trying to be everything, and if you need it to be, it will disappoint you.

Daikanyama vs Nakameguro, Ebisu and Shibuya

Each of the nearby neighborhoods solves a different problem, and Daikanyama's problem to solve is calm.

Area	To Shinjuku	Average 1K Rent	Character	Best For
Daikanyama	About 20 min via Shibuya	~¥136,100	Quiet, low-rise, design-led	People who want calm near Shibuya
Naka-Meguro	Via Shibuya (not verified)	Not re-checked	Canal-side, livelier evenings	People who want more going on
Ebisu	Not verified	~¥126,000	Practical, well served, busy	People who want transport and shops
Shibuya	Not verified	~¥126,000	The hub, loud and dense	People who need the connections

Source: Japanese rental market data, station-level survey dated 27 February 2023 for the 1K figures, and GO TOKYO for the Shinjuku time. We left blanks where we couldn't verify a figure.

The 1K gap looks small in the table, about ¥10,000 a month against Ebisu or Shibuya, but it grows with every extra room.

Naka-Meguro is one stop away on the same line, and a Japanese resident review from some years ago described it as cheaper than Daikanyama on rent, although we haven't re-checked a current figure. Its station handled 185,355 people a day in fiscal 2025, about six times Daikanyama's volume, which tells you which of the two feels livelier in the evening. Our Nakameguro guide, linked earlier, covers it in detail.

Ebisu has more of the everyday infrastructure Daikanyama lacks. Shibuya is the destination you'd commute to, not necessarily the place you'd want to sleep.

Hiroo is another neighbor that comes up in English-language guides, at a walking distance of about 18 to 20 minutes, and it runs at a higher price point.

Pick Daikanyama if calm matters most, and one of its neighbors if convenience does.

Practical Advice from E-Housing

A few practical points save time when you're searching in this area.

Look at apartments on a weekday evening as well as in daylight. The quiet that sells the neighborhood can feel very different at 9 p.m. on a dark, steep street.

Walk the route to the supermarket you'll actually use, with a bag, uphill if that's the direction home. Do the same from the station.

Check the address against the ward's hazard maps, and note which ward the address is in. Don't rely on the Daikanyama label on a listing.

Budget for the full move-in package, not just the first month. Ask early about key money and which guarantor company the building uses.

Be realistic about size. At this price, a modest 1LDK is a normal result, and if you need two bedrooms you should compare other areas side by side before you commit.

At E-Housing, we work with foreigners, expat families, international students and working professionals across greater Tokyo every day, and we can pull listings for Daikanyama, Naka-Meguro and Ebisu together so you can compare like with like.

The most useful thing you can do is see two or three apartments in person before deciding.

Final Verdict: Should You Live in Daikanyama?

Live in Daikanyama if you want a quiet, good-looking base with the best shops and a very short ride to Shibuya, and you accept paying a premium for it.

The research points one way on the lifestyle and another on the logistics. The neighborhood is calm, safe-feeling and close to the center, and it's also expensive, hilly and thin on everyday shopping.

We would not tell a family on a tight budget to move here. We would tell a single professional or a couple with a flexible budget that it's one of the nicest places in Tokyo to come home to.

Check the hazard maps for your street, confirm the walk to the supermarket, and see the apartment at night. If it still feels right, Daikanyama is a place you won't regret.

FAQ: Living in Daikanyama, Tokyo

Is Daikanyama a good place to live?

Yes, if you value a quiet, design-oriented neighborhood close to Shibuya and can afford the rent. It's less suited to people who want cheap groceries, flat streets or lively nights.

Is Daikanyama expensive to live in?

Yes. A 2023 station-level survey put the average 1LDK at about ¥262,000 a month, and recent listings we reviewed averaged higher. Daikanyama sits clearly above the Shibuya Ward average for the same layouts.

How much is rent in Daikanyama?

Layout averages from the 2023 survey run from about ¥135,100 for a 1R to ¥577,500 for a 3LDK. Current asking rents vary widely by building, so use those figures as a guide only.

How far is Daikanyama from Shibuya?

About 2 to 3 minutes by train on the Tokyu Toyoko Line. On foot, GO TOKYO lists it at about 15 minutes.

How long does it take to get from Daikanyama to Shinjuku?

About 20 minutes via Shibuya, according to GO TOKYO. That includes a transfer at Shibuya.

How long does it take to get from Daikanyama to Tokyo Station?

About 35 minutes via Shibuya, according to GO TOKYO, with one transfer.

How far is Daikanyama from Haneda and Narita airports?

About 55 minutes to Haneda and about 1 hour 50 minutes to Narita by train, according to GO TOKYO.

Which train lines serve Daikanyama Station?

Only the Tokyu Toyoko Line. For JR or subway lines you transfer at Shibuya.

Is Daikanyama safe?

Japanese residents describe it as very safe, including for women living alone. We couldn't retrieve a current official crime figure, so check the Shibuya Ward safety dashboard for the latest numbers.

Is Daikanyama safe from floods and earthquakes?

It depends on the street. Shibuya Ward publishes flood, landslide and earthquake maps, and you should check your exact address on them before you sign a lease.

Is Daikanyama good for families?

It can be, but space is expensive and the hills are hard with strollers. School districts depend on your exact address and on whether it falls in Shibuya or Meguro, so confirm that first.

Is Daikanyama good for foreigners?

Yes. The area is used to international residents and has a relaxed, cosmopolitan feel. Foreign tenants go through the same screening as anywhere in Tokyo, so income, employer and visa length matter.

Are there supermarkets in Daikanyama?

Yes, but few, and mostly high-end. Resident reviews mention Peacock Store near the station and Maruetsu, and say cheaper groceries mean a trip to neighboring Meguro. Confirm that the stores are still open before you rely on them.

What is there to do in Daikanyama?

Daikanyama T-SITE with its Tsutaya Books, Hillside Terrace, the Kyu Asakura House and Log Road are the main draws. Saigoyama Park is about a 15-minute walk away.

Is Daikanyama near Ebisu and Naka-Meguro?

Yes. Hillside Terrace's site gives about 7 minutes on foot to Naka-Meguro and 10 minutes to Ebisu. Other sources quote 10 to 15 minutes, depending on where you start.

Should I live in Daikanyama or Naka-Meguro?

Choose Daikanyama for calm, and Naka-Meguro for livelier evenings and a busier station. They're one stop apart on the same line, so it's worth viewing apartments in both.