Kōenji Station
Kōenji Station (高円寺駅, -eki) is a train station on the Chūō Line in Tokyo.
The Kōenji neighborhood is named after some old temples in the area.
Kōenji is primarily a bedroom community with easy access to Shinjuku and Tokyo Stations. It was largely unaffected by the 1980's building boom and therefore many of the houses and shops in the area are small and reflect the character of pre-boom Japan. Due to it's aging retail district and location on a major commuter route, the station area has become a center for small restaurants and "Live Houses" which offer live music. It is also known for having a young population and as a center for suburban underground culture including multiple used record and clothing shops. In 2006, when the Japanese PSE law went into effect restricting the sale of electronic goods built before 2001, Kōenji was chosen as the site for a protest due to it's active "retro" culture and used equipment shops.
South of the station is the "PAL" shopping arcade filled with many food, clothing, and discount goods shops. North of the station there are two main shopping streets filled with used record shops, restaurants and cafes. West of the station, both north, south, and under the tracks are many small yakitori's and bars. The station itself was renovated in 2006, and a brand new Hotel Mets opened at the northern entrance in March of 2007.
Kōenji is the site of the summertime Kōenji festival, one of the largest in Tokyo, where the annual Awa Odori (awa dance) contest takes place. Competing groups perform the Awa Odori through the town and past the judges platform while townspeople cook and sell food in the streets.