Ochanomizu Musical Instrument Street: The Guitar Haven of Tokyo

Why is it significant?

Immerse yourself in the sonic wonderland of Ochanomizu Musical Instrument Street, sprawling along Meidai-dori just south of Ochanomizu Station.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Immerse yourself in the sonic wonderland of Ochanomizu Musical Instrument Street, sprawling along Meidai-dori just south of Ochanomizu Station. Packed into this three-hundred-meter sloping avenue are more than fifty specialized music shops, with multi-story windows showcasing walls upon walls of polished electric guitars, acoustic dreadnoughts, vintage saxophones, and rare tube amplifiers. It is officially recognized as the largest and most dense concentration of musical instrument retail stores in the world, drawing professional musicians, students, and hobbyists from across the globe.

The street's musical identity took root in the nineteen-sixties: surrounded by major universities like Meiji, Nihon, and Tokyo Medical, Ochanomizu was filled with students caught up in the global folk and rock revolution inspired by Bob Dylan and the Beatles. Pawn shops and second-hand bookstalls along this slope began stocking used guitars to meet student demand, eventually evolving into premier dealerships like Shimokura Musical Instruments and Ishibashi Music, which have equipped Japanese rock icons for over half a century. Music students and professional studio artists test guitars and brass horns in acoustic soundproof booths throughout the afternoon. Music students and professional studio artists test guitars and brass horns in acoustic soundproof booths throughout the afternoon.

Step inside any of the multi-level shops: legendary guitarists from international rock bands make secret shopping pilgrimages here when touring Japan, hunting for rare Japanese-made vintage electric guitars from the nineteen-seventies and eighties, crafted with impeccable Fujigen and Matsumoku luthier woodworking that rivals the finest American classics. Friendly shopkeepers share decades of musical expertise, helping young musicians select their very first concert instruments. Friendly shopkeepers share decades of musical expertise, helping young musicians select their very first concert instruments.

Beyond guitars, specialized shops cater exclusively to orchestral musicians, offering entire floors dedicated to French flutes, German brass horns, and hand-carved violins where music students practice under the guidance of master instrument technicians, filling the street with melodic brass fanfares.

Continue south down Meidai-dori past the modern glass towers of Meiji University.