Wards · Outer ward
Nerima
Tokyo's leafy, family-first suburb in the northwest, the birthplace of anime and home to more parkland and cabbage fields than you'd believe sits inside the 23 wards.
Nerima is the most suburban of the 23 wards and proud of it. Spun off from Itabashi in 1947, it's a sprawl of low-rise residential neighborhoods, allotment gardens, and surprising pockets of working farmland (the Nerima daikon radish is a real local crop). It's quiet, green, low-crime, and built almost entirely around the daily rhythms of families.
The Seibu Ikebukuro and Toei Oedo lines stitch it to the center, with Ikebukuro the natural anchor station to the southeast. Nerima also carries a cultural badge of honor: it's the cradle of Japan's animation industry, with Toei Animation founded here and dozens of studios still in the area, celebrated at the Oizumi Anime Gate.
For renters and buyers, Nerima offers what central Tokyo can't: real space, gardens, detached houses, and good schools at a price families can stomach. It's a classic choose-the-suburb-for-the-kids ward, with a calm, settled feel and easy access to big green lungs like Hikarigaoka Park. Investors find steady, low-drama family rental demand rather than quick flips.
Nerima by the numbers (2026)
| Indicator | Nerima | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Official land price, residential average | ¥480,500 / ㎡ (+6.2% YoY) | 2026 chika koji (Jan 1, 2026) |
| Official land price, commercial average | ¥1,002,000 / ㎡ (+8.9% YoY) | 2026 chika koji (Jan 1, 2026) |
| Population | 750,559 (+0.62% YoY) | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Households | 400,678 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Foreign residents | 29,662 (4.0% of population) | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Population density | 15,611 / km² | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Minpaku notified dwellings (active) | 119 (162 filed, 43 closed) | As of Jul 15, 2026 |
Sources: 東京都財務局 令和8年地価公示 東京都分; 東京都総務局統計部 住民基本台帳による東京都の世帯と人口 令和8年1月 (foreign residents = sum of the three age groups printed); 観光庁 住宅宿泊事業 届出状況 令和8年7月15日時点. All 23 wards side by side, with condo prices and rents: Tokyo 23 Wards Property Data 2026.
Key neighbourhoods
- Nerima
- The civic and transit hub where the Seibu and Oedo lines meet. Busier and more built-up than the rest of the ward, with department stores and the ward office, but still grounded and unflashy.
- Hikarigaoka
- A planned new town built on a former US airbase, anchored by one of Tokyo's largest parks. Tower estates, wide promenades, and a green, master-planned family-living feel.
- Oizumi-Gakuen
- Leafy, settled, and proudly the home of Japanese anime, with Toei Animation nearby. A desirable detached-house district with a strong local identity.
- Shakujii-Koen
- Built around a pair of pretty spring-fed ponds and their park. Arguably Nerima's most charming address, beloved for its waterside walks and laid-back, almost resort-like calm.