Nishi-Azabu, the heart of the "city"!
Gran Nishi-Azabu opened in October 2015. The closest station is Hiroo on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya line. This time, we took a stroll through Hiroo to Nishi-Azabu, areas known for being the town of the rich and famous. If that's all you know about the area, rest assured that there are 100-yen shops, drug stores, and convenient shops around the station as well. Many foreigners live in this area, and there is an international supermarket, quaint cafes, and enticing bakeries. It's the perfect place to just walk around and get lost. Today, our Shibuya Info Center staff Nana and Filip made a report for us!

All the food you need!

For top-class food stock in the city, check out National Azabu Supermarket.
Here you will find import food from all over the world, hopefully including things you miss from back home, as well as fresh meats and fish. It's fun just to explore this market. Here you can find your Thanksgiving turkeys or Christmas hams, even. If you are disappointed with Japan's general cheese selection, have no fear here - a great selection of cheeses and yogurts! The 2nd floor has general goods as well. Foreigners in the neighborhood love and rely on this market.

DATA　〒106-0047　4-5-2 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo　(TEL : 03-3442-3181)
WEB http://www.national-azabu.com/

Follow your nose

On the way from Hiroo to Azabu, we found a pie shop! The great smell from fresh pies enticed us to take a look at the showcase.
The pies are made right here, one by one, using fresh fruits in 15 varieties. Everything looked great!
There is an eat-in space, so you can take your time to savor a pie with a cup of tea.

Arisugawanomiya Park

A 3-minute walk from Hiroo station, right outside the supermarket, there is a big park.
You enter through a Japanese garden to a pond with koi carp and ducks. Further in there is a bridge and a waterfall reminiscent of an ideal Japanese garden. In the spring the sakura and plum trees bloom; in the summer, hydrangeas; in the fall, gingko; and of course the winter view is also not to be missed. There are plenty of benches where you can relax with a coffee or your lunch to enjoy the foliage.

DATA　 5-7-29, Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo (TEL：03-3441-9642)
WEB　 http://www.arisugawa-park.jp/index.php

Great hot dogs!
5 minutes from Hiroo station is a bakery, a branch of a shop in Karuizawa called SAWAMURA.
The smiling staff welcomes you warmly into the shop full of freshly-baked goods. They recommend their curry bread, cream bread, and the big sellers, hot dogs.
We asked Nana and Filip what they thought of the hot dogs. "Sooooo good!" was all we could make out, so I think they enjoyed it! They open from 7 a.m., perfect for a snack along your morning jog, maybe?

DATA 東京都港区 南麻布5丁目1-6 (TEL：03-5421-8686)
WEB http://www.b-sawamura.com/hiroo/

SWITCH magazine
The company that publishes SWITCH magazine, Switch Publishing, also runs a cafe in their offices. Alongside issues of Switch, they also have art by Taiyou Matsumoto, photography books, and other specialty books. Have a tea, coffee, or other drink while you relax and listen to jazz in this hideaway.

DATA 2-21-28, B1F Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
WEB　 http://www.switch-pub.co.jp/rainyday/

Kaneko's recommendations
Nishi-Azabu and Roppongi are known for their many stylish bars and clubs and nightlife.

Our cameraman for this trip, Kaneko recommended the bar TANUKI. The interior has a soft Japanese design, with art and tanuki decorations on the walls for a grown-up tasteful bar. There are sofa seats from which you can see the Tokyo night view, and many selections of alcoholic beverages. The 7th floor, WOLF, is a rental space for karaoke, events, and parties.

DATA　3-21-24C's, 7&8F, Nishi-0Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
WEB　 http://t-to-w.com/