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Tokyo’s Jinbōchō district, long known among bibliophiles as “Book Town”, has been named the world’s coolest neighbourhood for 2025.
The announcement, part of Time Out’s annual “Coolest Neighbourhoods in the World” ranking, places Jinbōchō, traditionally Tokyo’s centre for used, rare, and specialist books, at the top of a list of 39 cities worldwide.
In order to gain a spot on the list, each neighbourhood is first nominated by a local expert before being ranked across a range of criteria including culture, community, liveability, nightlife, food and drink, street life and what the magazine’s travel editor Grace Beard described as “that hard-to-define sense of nowness”. Beard said that although the list spans a huge spectrum of cities, each chosen neighbourhood reflects “a DIY spirit – and an unshakeable proclivity for ingenuity and fun”.
Described as the “hangout of choice for generations of Tokyo intellectuals”, Jinbōchō is celebrated for the sheer density of its cultural life, with around 130 second-hand bookshops crammed into a few streets, many of them spilling stock onto the pavements. Among the best known are Komiyama Shoten, specialising in art and photography, and Kitazawa Bookstore, a landmark for English-language titles.
Alongside the bookstores are curry houses that have become institutions, retro cafés that date back to the 1950s, and live music venues that add to its reputation as a place where Tokyo’s past and present co-exist.
One of the neighbourhood’s most beloved haunts is Saboru, a 70-year-old café famous for its pizza toast and wood-panelled charm. Curry is another local draw: Curry Bondy is celebrated for its rich, spice-and-fruit-laced sauce, while Sangatsu no Mizu was crowned winner of a local curry contest in 2024.
The area developed in the early 20th century as publishers and academics settled close to nearby universities, and it remains the beating heart of Japan’s literary trade.
Jinbōchō’s literary aura has been captured in popular culture, most notably through Satoshi Yagisawa’s Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, set in a second-hand bookstore in Jinbōchō and following a young woman rebuilding her life amid its dusty shelves and regulars. The novel, adapted into film and translated into English, captures the quiet rhythms of bookshop life and has helped define how international readers imagine the neighbourhood.
open image in gallery
Second place on the list went to Borgerhout in Antwerp, described as a neighbourhood ‘buzzing with grassroots creativity’ (AFP/Getty)
Second place on the list went to Borgerhout in Antwerp, described as a neighbourhood “buzzing with grassroots creativity”. Known for its diverse immigrant communities, Borgerhout has become a hub for cultural projects, street festivals, and experimental art, with local residents playing an active role in shaping how the area develops.
In third place is Barra Funda, São Paulo’s “alternative soul”. Once dominated by warehouses and railway yards, the neighbourhood has transformed many of its industrial sites into cultural spaces, including independent theatres, music venues, and art studios.
London’s Camberwell ranked fourth, and is the only UK entry among the top five. Time Out credited its “young-at-heart vibe” and “independent spirit”, pointing to Church Street’s mix of food streets, Kurdish and Turkish eateries, bakers and gastropubs. The area’s proximity to art schools and its existing tradition of local markets and galleries has turned it into a crossroads for creatives looking for a place that balances affordability and cultural momentum.
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London’s Camberwell ranked fourth, and is the only UK entry among the top five (Getty/iStock)
Fifth on the list is Avondale in Chicago, highlighted for its “vibrant but grounded” identity. Once characterised by its historic Polish and Latino populations, the neighbourhood now mixes red-brick industrial bones with new artisanal cafés, cocktail bars and bookstores along Milwaukee Avenue.
Time Out’s top 10 coolest neighbourhoods 2025
Jimbōchō, Tokyo, JapanBorgerhout, Antwerp, BelgiumBarra Funda, São Paulo, BrazilCamberwell, London, United KingdomAvondale, Chicago, United StatesMullae-dong, Seoul, South KoreaMénilmontant, Paris, FranceNakatsu, Osaka, JapanVallila, Helsinki, FinlandLabone, Accra, Ghana
AloJapan.com