The “Kitachu Night Market” is a monthly event held in the “Kitachu-dori Shopping Street,” located further down “Nakadori Shopping Street”—which is on the left after exiting the north exit of Koenji Station, between McDonald’s and Ueshima Coffee—and is bustling with food stalls and a flea market.
For first-time visitors to Hokuchu Street, we recommend exploring the shops in the shopping district while enjoying the night market.
While it has traditionally been held on the third Sunday of each month, this year (2026), due to scheduling conflicts with other events in Koenji, it will be held on the fourth Sunday only during the latter half of the year (September–December).
A night market unique to Koenji, the mecca of subculture
Many people probably know Koenji from the “Tokyo Koenji Awa Odori.”
Held every year in late August, the “Tokyo Koenji Awa Odori” is the second-largest Awa Odori festival after the “Tokushima City Awa Odori,” attracting around 1 million visitors each time.
Koenji is usually a local area known as a “subculture mecca” due to its eclectic atmosphere, lined with unique Asian souvenir shops and small live music venues.
Held in Koenji, the Hokuchu Night Market features around 50 to 70 stalls selling vintage clothing, miscellaneous goods, antiques, used books, handmade items, children’s flea market goods, fortune-telling stalls, massage shops, plant shops, and multinational food stalls, allowing you to enjoy the lively energy and local atmosphere of an Asian night market.
📍Kitachu-dori Shopping Street
🕐 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
📅 Scheduled dates for 2026: June 21, July 19, September 27, October 25, November 22, December 27
Recently, the “Tokyo Night Market” held along the zelkova tree-lined avenue in Yoyogi Park has been gaining popularity as a place where you can experience the atmosphere of a night market in Taiwan or Southeast Asia right in the heart of Tokyo. However, if you’d like to experience a more local and authentic night market, I highly recommend this “Kitachu Night Market.”
