[2025 Tokyo Attraction] Travel Guide for The Waseda International House of Literature (The Haruki Murakami Library) (Updated Jul)

[Nishi-Waseda: Use the illuminations at Kansen-en Park for summer morning walks and autumn night photography] 🌳🍁Kansen-en Park, Shinjuku Ward 💰Price per person: Free 📍Location: 3 Chome-5 Nishiwaseda, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 169-0051 ☸️🕉️⛩️Hōjōji Temple 🕰️Opening hours: 9-16 📍Location: 2 Chome-1-14 Nishiwaseda, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 162-0051 ⛩️Ana-hachimangu Shrine For photography at the vermilion-painted Ana-Hachiman Shrine, we recommend the light of midsummer on a clear day or early morning in midwinter. You can pray for a variety of things, including financial luck, business prosperity, safety in the home, and road safety. 💰Price per person: optional offering 📍Location: 2 Chome-1-11 Nishiwaseda, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 162-0051 🏛️Dorado Waseda An unusual building housing a gallery and a barber shop 📍Location: 517-1 Dorado Waseda, Wasedatsurumakicho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 162-0041 🇳🇵🥟orientaltable AMA Waseda Close to Waseda Station on the Tokyo Metro. Nepalese curry, momos, and dal part are popular. 💰Price per person: 1000-2000 📍Address: 2nd floor, Yoshimura Building, 61 Babashitacho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 162-0045 🥞GOOD MORNING CAFE Waseda 💰Price per person: 1000-2000 📍Address: 1st floor, Okuma Square Building, 1 Chome-9-12 Nishiwaseda, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 169-0051 Nearby tourist attractions Rihga Royal Hotel Higo Hosokawa Garden Waseda University Okuma Garden Waseda University Theatre Museum Anahachiman Shrine #Summer vacation #Domestic travel #Overseas travel strategy #My travel plan #Summer vacation travel #Domestic seasonal places #Absolutely free trip #Walk around places associated with literary writers #Domestic travel strategy #Domestic travel #Comment corner #Autumn short trip #Silver week

[Hōjōji Temple in Nishi-Waseda, Tokyo - A tour of the grounds of the temple that resembles Yasaka Shrine and a mini Waseda area tour] ⛩️☸️Hōjōji Temple 🕰️Opening hours: 9-16 📍Location: 2 Chome-1-14 Nishiwaseda, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 162-0051 ⛩️Ana-hachimangu Shrine The best time to take photos at the vermilion-painted Ana-Hachiman Shrine is in the early morning light of midsummer or midwinter on a clear day. You can pray for a variety of things, including good fortune, business success, safety in the home, and road safety. 📍Address: 2 Chome-1-11 Nishiwaseda, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 162-0051 ☕️ Sakaichi Roastery Business hours: 11:00-19:00 (closing time subject to change) Saturdays: Closed at 18:00 on public holidays. 📍Address: 1 Chome-104 Totsukamachi, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 169-0071 If heading to Waseda 🌳 Waseda University Okuma Garden, with a cafe operated by the university co-op 📍Address: 1 Chome-104, Totsukamachi, Tokyo, Shinjuku City, 169-8050 Waseda has many cafes serving light meals, ramen shops for lunch with a budget of up to 2000 yen, restaurants, bento shops, and bakeries, so you won't have any trouble if you visit during the day on a weekday. Coffee Shop Koji 📍Address: 521 Wasedatsurumakicho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 162-0041 If you want to go to Nishi-Waseda or Takadanobaba Kansen-en Park, Shinjuku Ward 📍Address: 3 Chome-5 Nishiwaseda, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 169-0051 Nearby sightseeing spots Rihga Royal Hotel Higo Hosokawa Garden Waseda University Okuma Garden Waseda University Theatre Museum Anahachiman Shrine #Summer vacation #Domestic travel #Overseas travel strategy #My travel plan #Summer vacation travel #Domestic seasonal places #Absolutely free travel #Walk around places associated with literary writers #Domestic travel strategy #Domestic travel #Comment corner

Nestled in Shinjuku’s Waseda University, the Waseda International House of Literature—also affectionately called the Haruki Murakami Library—reimagines the façade of the old Building No. 4 with a beautifully sculpted wooden tunnel that cuts through its core. Designed by Kengo Kuma, the tunnel’s sweeping wooden louvers not only evoke the surreal passageways in Murakami’s novels, but also serve as shelves, lighting effects, and gentle separators between dimensions of space. Inside, the atmosphere is calm yet vibrant. Over 3,000 volumes of Murakami’s works—some first editions and translations into more than 50 languages—line the staircase-wall, inviting contemplative browsing . A basement café called Orange Cat nods to Murakami’s jazz-bar days, complete with a piano from his own Peter Cat venue and cozy nooks for lingering with a brew . Upstairs, a listening room lets you play records from Murakami’s personal collection while soft light filters through the wooden tunnel overhead. Beyond serving as a thoughtful homage to the author, the library functions as a cultural venue—with rotating exhibitions, literary talks, live music, and special events like Murakami’s recent public readings and jazz-infused Campus Piano sessions. Whether you’re a Murakami devotee or a lover of architecture and ambiance, the Haruki Murakami Library offers an immersive blend of literature, design, and community—inviting you to explore, reflect, and discover in a space as layered as the stories it celebrates. #tokyospots

[Visiting Scott Hall, a Vories-built Waseda in Nishi-Waseda] ✝️Waseda Hoshien 💞Reasons for recommendation: The Vories-built chapel, which was only a street in a student town, was a good place to take photos or take a short break after visiting the Waseda University museum. The annual Christmas service is full to capacity. It is also a student dormitory and hosts events to promote exchanges between international students in Japan, making it a safe place for students studying Japanese in Tokyo. "In addition to being used as a chapel for Waseda Church, Scott Hall is also used for a variety of purposes, such as weddings, music concerts, conferences, choir practice, community meetings and events, and filming for movies, TV dramas, and commercials, and is loved by people. " We found a place that is suitable for artists and musicians traveling. You can make reservations for the hall and gallery on the website. "Scott Hall is a red brick masonry building completed in 1922 by Naito Tanjū and Imai Kenji, based on the original design by William Merrell Vories Architectural Office, which has worked on many modern Western buildings in Japan. Its historical significance was recognized and it was selected as a "Tokyo Historical Building" in 1999. In addition to Christian worship, it is used for weddings, music concerts, and other events, and is loved by people. " ✝️Waseda Hoshien 📍Location: 2 Chome-3-1 Nishiwaseda, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 169-8616, Japan #Absolutely free trip #Domestic travel #Asia travel #Tokyo trip #Study in Japan #Tourism #Domestic travel strategy #academicvibes

[Enjoy carefully selected coffee at Sakaichi Roastery in Waseda] We directly import carefully selected beans from Colombia, Yemen, Laos, Myanmar, Zimbabwe, Costa Rica, Brazil, Indonesia, and more, and roast them in-store. You can also take the roasted coffee beans home by plane. Enjoy choosing your beans while drinking freshly brewed drip coffee in tableware from a Scandinavian manufacturer. ☕️Sakaichi Roastery 🕰️Business hours: 11:00-19:00 (closing time subject to change) Saturdays: Closed at 18:00 on public holidays. 1 Chome-104 Totsukamachi, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 169-0071 💞Reasons for recommendation: Nearby tourist spots Rihga Royal Hotel Higo Hosokawa Garden Waseda University Okuma Garden Waseda University Theatre Museum Anahachiman Shrine #MyTravelPlan #DomesticTravel #AsiaTravel #Waseda #TokyoTrip #ShrineVisit

Located within Waseda University, the "Murakami Haruki Library" not only houses the author's manuscripts, translation drafts, and rare collections but also creates a tranquil space dedicated to the soul of literature. The library's design exudes Murakami's everyday philosophical charm, with wooden bookshelves, jazz music, and warm yellow lighting weaving a captivating atmosphere that makes visitors reluctant to leave. Beyond the books themselves, the library's gift shop is equally stylish: tote bags printed with Murakami quotes, notebooks featuring blue cat designs, and bookmarks and washi tapes inspired by book pages make perfect souvenirs for yourself or fellow book lovers. Among them, the special notebook with a "Norwegian Wood" cover stands out, with its faux vintage leather embossing, resembling a book waiting to be filled with inspiration. Visiting here is not just about immersing yourself in reading but also taking home a piece of the "Murakami universe" in the form of a refined keepsake.

I’ve always wanted to check out the Haruki Murakami Library (officially called the “Wasada University International Literature Museum”), not only because I love his novels, but also because I want to get a feel for the world behind the text. This time I finally managed to match it, so I specially arranged an afternoon to go on a pilgrimage. The library is located on the campus of Waseda University in a quiet, academic setting. As soon as you enter, you will see a wooden building designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. It is simple and warm, and the whole space is filled with natural light and is very comfortable. There is also a rotating bookshelf at the door, full of Murakami's writings and translations, the smell of books is really strong. I felt like time had stopped at that moment as I sat down in the reading area on the second floor, looking out the window at the greenery of the campus, quietly turning to a collection of Murakami’s essays. There will also be his favorite jazz music playing there, and the whole person relaxes, as if he has really entered the world of his novels. No need for tickets, remember to book online in advance (not open every day), and you can’t bring drinks in. The interior space is not too big, but every corner is designed to be very delicate, suitable for walking slowly and feeling slowly. What I love about the library is a small exhibition area on the ground floor of Murakami’s creative journey, where you can see his manuscripts, old computers, writing tools, and even sketches he drew while translating Carver novels, and it feels like you’re peeking at him writing a manuscript next to his work desk. Before leaving, I bought an iced latte from a nearby coffee shop, sat on a campus bench, and continued reading, quiet and contented as the wind blew by. If you are a fan of Murakami, it is really worth a walk, not in a hurry, walking quietly, there will be many unexpected little touches. Address: 1-6-1 Nishi Waseda, Shinjuku, Tokyo (inside Waseda University Toyama Campus) Opening hours: Usually 10:00～17:00 (closed on Sundays and university holidays, it is recommended to make an appointment online and check the open day) Access: About 5 minutes walk from Tokyo Metro “Waseda Station” #Tokyo Attractions

#Tokyo Attractions Location: Wasedacho, Shinjuku District, Tokyo Waseda University International House of Literature, also known as the "Haruki Murakami Library", is a cultural space created for literature lovers that specializes in collecting Japanese and world literature. The museum opened in 2021. It houses a large collection of Haruki Murakami's works and literary materials, making it an ideal place for readers to interact with literature. 🌟 Highlights • Unique architectural design: Designed by Kengo Kuma, the interior space design combines wooden elements with open bookshelves to create a warm and artistic reading atmosphere. • Interactive experience space: It has a reading area, coffee corner and literature lecture area, allowing visitors to enjoy the beauty of literature in a relaxing atmosphere. 📸 Photography Tips • Architectural appearance: Photograph the building designed by Kengo Kuma, which combines wooden structure with modern style and is very artistic. • Reading Corner: Capture the moment of quiet reading in front of the warm wooden bookshelf and feel the rich literary atmosphere. 🚶♂️ Transportation and Tips • Transportation: Take the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line to Waseda Station and walk about 5 minutes from Exit 3a. #Waseda University International Literature Museum #Haruki Murakami Library #Literature Lovers #Tokyo Cultural Attractions #Kengo Kuma Design

📍Haruki Murakami Library, Tokyo The "Haruki Murakami Library" opened on October 1, 2021 on the Waseda Campus of Waseda University. The library was designed by Kengo Kuma! The bookshelves on the large staircase located in the center from the first basement floor to the second floor create a space like a wooden tunnel💫 (For Kuma, the world of Murakami's works seems to be an image of a tunnel, so the library is designed to spatialize a tunnel😊🤍) There are many books and dwarfs on the walls of the tunnel♡ It's fun to take pictures from various angles, such as from the basement, the first floor, or the second floor, as the impression changes depending on the angle of view♡ The library has a collection of about 3,000 published works by Haruki Murakami and related books, both in Japanese and non-Japanese📚 (open to the public as well as Waseda University students) The Sheep Man from his works is painted on the wall, and there is a room that recreates Haruki Murakami's study, making it a library worth seeing! ! I go to libraries when I travel abroad, but this was a wonderful space that was just as good♡ Add excitement to your everyday life: 🌙📚 Murakami Haruki Library📮 Building 4, 1-6 Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo (Waseda University International Literature Museum)🚃 7 minutes walk from Exit 3a of Waseda Station, Tokyo Metro🕙 10:00-17:00 (closed on Wednesdays) Closed from Tuesday, December 26, 2023 to Wednesday, January 10, 2024 Closed from Monday, January 22, 2024 to Thursday, February 29, 2024👛 Free admission - - ☑ Share the exciting spots you've actually visited ☑ Save the places that interest you and make them your next outing candidate...✈ #besttrip2023 #wintertrip #girlstrip #tokyo #tokyotourism #tokyotrip #library #domestic travel