Gotokuji Neighborhood: 5 Best Stops Beyond the Cat Temple

The Gotokuji Neighborhood sits in Setagaya, twenty minutes from Shibuya, and it moves at a pace that has nothing to do with the rest of Tokyo. Two car trams still run through it. The shops are family run and mostly one of a kind. And at the centre of it is a temple where several thousand white cats sit on wooden shelves in rows, all with one paw raised.

The temple is the reason most people come and it deserves its own visit. This is the walk around it: how to arrive by tram, where to eat, and the four stops that make an afternoon out of what most visitors treat as a thirty minute stop.

Need to Know

• From Shibuya: about 20 minutes, Den-en-toshi Line to Sangenjaya then the Setagaya Line to Miyanosaka
• From Shinjuku: about 25 minutes on the Odakyu Line to Gotokuji Station, then a short walk
• Cost: the temple grounds are free to enter
• How long to allow: half a day, or three hours if you skip a stop
• Bring: cash, since at least one stop here does not take cards

💡 Japan-Profi-Tipp: Take the Setagaya Line rather than walking from Gotokuji Station on the Odakyu. The tram is two carriages, it runs through back gardens and level crossings, and the ride is genuinely part of the visit rather than a way of getting there.

Arriving by Tram at Miyanosaka

The Setagaya Line is one of only two tram lines left in Tokyo. It runs a short route between Sangenjaya and Shimo-takaido, and the whole thing takes about ten minutes end to end. The carriages come in a set of bright colours and the line threads between houses at street level, stopping at platforms barely longer than the train.

Miyanosaka is the stop for the temple. Come out of the station and the walk takes about five minutes, past a shrine and along narrow residential streets that give you a decent sense of the area before you arrive.

Gotokuji Temple and the Cats

The story attached to Gotokuji Temple is that a feudal lord sheltering from a storm saw a cat outside beckoning him in. He followed it, lightning struck where he had been standing, and in gratitude he made the temple his family temple. The beckoning cat, the maneki-neko, is said to come from here.

The grounds themselves are quiet and well kept, with a main hall, a three storey pagoda and trees that turn over the year: cherry in spring, maple in autumn. Very little of it is set up for tourists.

The cats sit in one corner. Thousands of them, white with red and black markings, arranged on tiered wooden shelves in every size from a thumbnail to a forearm. People buy one, make a wish, and leave it here when the wish is granted, so the collection grows on its own. It is a strange thing to stand in front of and much bigger than photographs suggest.

💡 Japan-Profi-Tipp: You can buy a cat at the temple office and either leave it on the shelves or take it home. Go early if you want photographs of the shelves without people in them, and treat the area quietly. It is an active place of worship, not a photo spot.

For the temple on its own, in more depth, our guide to the lucky cat temple covers the history and what to look for inside the grounds.

Where to Eat in the Gotokuji Neighborhood

Four stops, in the order that works best on foot.

Mahorodou Sougetsu is a small wagashi shop by the tram tracks with a plain white front and a noren over the door. The thing to get is the lucky cat dorayaki, two small pancakes around sweet red bean paste with a cat stamped on top. They also do seasonal wagashi that change through the year.

Rarasand is a few minutes away and does maneki-neko baby castella, small warm sponge cakes sold by the bag. It doubles as an art gallery and cafe, and there is a large pink cat outside that you cannot miss.

Rakuen handles lunch. It is a one person operation doing hand built burgers, and after two rounds of sweets a savoury stop is welcome. It is small, so expect to wait at peak times.

💡 Japan-Profi-Tipp: Rakuen is cash only. There is no card payment at all, so sort that out before you sit down.

Fika Fabriken closes the loop. Setagaya has a strong cafe culture and this one runs on the Swedish idea of fika, which is coffee and something sweet taken slowly. Cinnamon buns and cookies are the things to order, in a pale, spare room that feels a long way from a temple courtyard.

What to Do Next

Stay on the Setagaya Line to Sangenjaya and you are two stops from Shibuya, or change for Shimokitazawa, which is close by and full of second hand clothing and record shops if you want to keep going into the evening.

If it is the quiet green side of Setagaya you came for, Todoroki Valley and Futako Tamagawa are both a short ride away, and the season makes a real difference to both, so it is worth checking the best time to visit Japan before you plan around them.

FAQ

Is the Gotokuji Neighborhood worth visiting?

Yes, if you want a half day in a residential part of Tokyo rather than a sight. The temple and its thousands of cat figures are the draw, but the tram ride, the wagashi shops and the cafes around it are what make it an afternoon rather than a quick stop.

How do you get to Gotokuji from Shibuya?

Take the Den-en-toshi Line to Sangenjaya, about five minutes, then change to the Setagaya Line and ride to Miyanosaka. The whole trip is around twenty minutes. From Shinjuku, the Odakyu Line to Gotokuji Station takes about twenty five minutes and leaves you a short walk from the temple.

Is Gotokuji Temple free?

Yes. The grounds are free to enter and there is no ticket for the area where the cat figures are kept. You only pay if you buy a maneki-neko of your own from the temple office.

What is the story behind the lucky cats?

A feudal lord sheltering from a storm is said to have seen a cat outside the temple beckoning him in. He followed it and lightning struck the spot he had just left. He made Gotokuji his family temple in thanks, and the beckoning cat became the maneki-neko.

How long do you need in Gotokuji?

An hour covers the temple itself. Half a day covers the tram ride in, the temple, both sweet shops, lunch and a cafe, which is the version worth doing.