Ah, Kichijoji: my favorite Tokyo neighborhood. Less than 30 minutes from the heart of the city, this hip suburb has everything a downtown dweller would want: good restaurants, good shopping, a thriving music scene and one of the coolest parks in the Kanto region. Indeed, most of my friends who live there tend to stick around, rarely venturing into the metropolis. When you have everything you need within biking distance, why hop on a train?

For families, the Kichijoji area offers a great day out, most notably the Ghibli Museum in nearby Mitaka, home of animator extraordinaire Hayao Miyazaki and birthplace of most of his creations. If you've never been to the Ghibli Museum, do yourself a favor and buy tickets now. If you've already been, then maybe it's time for a return visit. I'll explain why later.

First things first, however. Let's start our day under some trees: A short walk from Kichijoji Station is Inokashira Park. There are countless restaurants and shops on the way, but if the weather is nice, my family and I tend to stop in the Atré shopping center attached to the station and pick up bentō (lunch boxes) or other picnic materials. Ten minutes later, we're in the park and looking for a tree to eat under.