Tokyo Ochanomizu Guide: Hijiribashi, Instrument Street & Suzume Filming Spot

Tokyo Ochanomizu is a good destination for taking in the train scenery from Hijiribashi, Instrument Street, and historic sights like Nikolai Cathedral and Kanda Myojin all together. Here's everything from how to get to Ochanomizu Station to the Suzume filming location and a half-day course linking Jimbocho and Akihabara.

Ochanomizu: University District, Instrument Street & Historic Sights

Tokyo Ochanomizu is a university district on the border of Chiyoda-ku and Bunkyo-ku, and a hub for medicine and education. The name Ochanomizu ("tea water") is said to come from the well water of Korinji temple, which stood here in the Edo period, being offered as the water for brewing the Tokugawa shogun family's tea.

On both sides of the Kanda River are the Yushima and Surugadai campuses of Tokyo University of Science and the Hongo and Ochanomizu campuses of Juntendo University, and nearby are Meiji University's Surugadai campus and Nihon University Hospital.

The area's character is that Ochanomizu's Instrument Street and historic sights run through streets packed with universities and university hospitals. You can use the JR Chuo Line, Chuo-Sobu Line, and Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, and you can link on foot to the Jimbocho book street and Akihabara respectively.

Ochanomizu's key sights

• Hijiribashi train view: the multi-level crossing of the JR Chuo Line, Chuo-Sobu Line, and Marunouchi Line
• Ochanomizu Instrument Street: a street lined with various instrument shops, from guitars to bass
• Historic sights: historic buildings and shrines around Ochanomizu such as Nikolai Cathedral and Kanda Myojin
• Walking links: a route good for touring the Jimbocho book street and Akihabara together

⏱ Recommended stay: half a day (about 3-4 hours)

How to Get to Ochanomizu: JR & Subway

To get to Ochanomizu Station, use the JR Chuo Line or Chuo-Sobu Line, or the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line. Shin-Ochanomizu Station on the Chiyoda Line is also close, making it convenient to come from the Omotesando and Meiji-jingumae direction.

How to get to Ochanomizu by departure area

• Tokyo Station: direct on the JR Chuo Line rapid
• Shinjuku Station: direct on the JR Chuo Line rapid
• Akihabara Station: direct on the JR Chuo-Sobu Line local
• Ginza, Ikebukuro Station: direct on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
• Omotesando, Nezu Station: direct to Shin-Ochanomizu Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line

Hijiribashi: Suzume Filming Location & Train View

Hijiribashi (聖橋) is an arch bridge over the Kanda River, built in 1927 as part of the reconstruction after the Great Kanto Earthquake. From the bridge you can see the JR Chuo Line, Chuo-Sobu Line, and Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line cross on multiple levels, so it's known as a train-view point that represents Ochanomizu.

The Suzume filming location scenery

In "Suzume," the 2022 animated film by director Makoto Shinkai, the Kanda River and train scenery seen from Hijiribashi appear. The composition in the film is similar to the actual scenery, so it became known as Ochanomizu's representative Suzume filming location.

In the film, the giant Worm that comes out of Tokyo's back door rises up near the Marunouchi Line tunnel. In reality, looking down from Hijiribashi, you can see the red Marunouchi Line train emerge from the tunnel and cross the Kanda River railway bridge.

There's also a scene where Suzume, chasing the Worm, jumps from Hijiribashi toward the Kanda River. The bridge railings and streetlights, and the scenery around Ochanomizu Station, are depicted fairly faithfully, so it's good to walk around recalling the film's scenes.

Hijiribashi train-view photo tips

The moment when a JR train and a Marunouchi Line train come into one frame at the same time is short, so it's good to decide your composition first and wait. Using your smartphone's burst-shot function, or taking a short video and then picking the frame you want, is convenient.

The Marunouchi Line's intervals vary by weekday, weekend, and time of day. To capture a scene with the JR Chuo Line, Chuo-Sobu Line, and Marunouchi Line coming in together, allow about 10-15 minutes.

The bridge is a space where pedestrians keep passing. Don't block the walkway with a tripod or large equipment; it's better to shoot briefly from inside the railing.

Ochanomizu Sights: Instrument Street, Nikolai Cathedral & Kanda Myojin

Around Ochanomizu Station are Instrument Street, where about 50 instrument shops gather, Nikolai Cathedral, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property, and Kanda Myojin, known for business prosperity and IT information-security charms. They're good to tour on foot along with Hijiribashi, so I recommend them as an Ochanomizu half-day stroll course.

① Ochanomizu Instrument Street (御茶ノ水楽器店街)

Ochanomizu Instrument Street starts at Meidai-dori in front of the Ochanomizubashi exit of JR Ochanomizu Station. About 50 instrument shops gather here, where you can compare everything from guitars, bass, drums, and wind instruments to used instruments and audio equipment.

Large general stores like Ishibashi Music, Shimokura Music, and Kurosawa Music continue alongside specialty shops for each instrument, making it a street good for travelers interested in music and instruments.

② Nikolai Cathedral (ニコライ堂)

Nikolai Cathedral is a cathedral of the Japanese Orthodox Church, completed in 1891. Its official name is the Holy Resurrection Cathedral, and it's a nationally designated Important Cultural Property with an impressive Byzantine-style blue dome.

It's about a 2-minute walk from the Hijiribashi exit of JR Ochanomizu Station, where you can see a historic architectural beauty different from Ochanomizu's downtown scenery.

③ Kanda Myojin (神田明神)

Kanda Myojin is a shrine with about 1,300 years of history, founded in 730; its official name is Kanda Shrine. It's known as the guardian shrine for 108 areas including Kanda, Nihonbashi, Akihabara, and Marunouchi.

It's famous as a shrine for praying for business prosperity, and reflecting its location near Akihabara, you can also receive IT information-security charms. It's about a 7-minute walk from the Hijiribashi exit of JR Ochanomizu Station, and you can walk from there to Akihabara.

Ochanomizu Half-Day Course: Linking Jimbocho & Akihabara

Tokyo Ochanomizu lets you tour the main sights in about 3-4 hours. To also see inside the instrument shops and Nikolai Cathedral, it's good to start after 11:00 a.m., when the main facilities open.

The Jimbocho book street and Akihabara are in different directions from Ochanomizu, so choose one to link based on your travel interests and next plans.

① Ochanomizu half-day course: Akihabara direction

② Ochanomizu half-day course: Jimbocho direction

Tokyo Ochanomizu is a half-day destination where you can tour the Hijiribashi train view, Instrument Street, and Nikolai Cathedral and Kanda Myojin together. If you're planning to find the Suzume filming location or to travel linking Jimbocho and Akihabara, add it to your itinerary.

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