Transformed into a luxury residential district: Shirokane area

Formerly the abode of samurai families, the Shirokane area transformed in modern times into a luxury residential district.

■Shirokane/Takanawa area property listings

Today Shirokane is known as one of Tokyo’s most elegant residential areas.

Purachina-dori or “Platinum Street” joins two of the district’s thoroughfares, Meguro-dori and Gaiennishi-dori. Lined with gingko trees, Purachina-dori turns golden-yellow in autumn, becoming even more picturesque than in summer. Refined and upscale shops, interspersed with French and Italian restaurants, trace a line through this harmonious cityscape.

From the Meiji era onward, Shirokane has been dotted with research institutes, educational facilities and stately villas, each on a spacious plot of land. More recently, however, high-rise condominium development has driven the population upward, with children and babies in strollers becoming a common sight.

For example, Shirokane The Sky was completed in 2023. Rising 45 stories above ground, this large-scale residential tower comprises over a thousand suites and is already a Shirokane landmark.

Another draw for Shirokane is that the area is filled with cultural attractions, such as Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum and the Institute of Nature Study.

Happoen is a garden whose name means “beautiful from eight (that is, all) directions.” This charming and spacious Japanese garden is well loved as a dignified place of ceremony. A ryotei on the grounds of Happoen offers traditional culinary delights, its menu filled with the flavors of fresh items in season from every corner of Japan.

We hope we’ve whetted your appetite for Shirokane. If you’re interested in what you’ve just seen, please be sure to check our Shirokane/Takanawa area property listings.

Please note that there may not be any available units for sale in the listed properties on this article.