KOINUMA DENTAL CLINIC

Koinuma Dental is tucked inside Shimokitazawa Platz, a small commercial building right in the heart of one of Tokyo’s most characterful neighborhoods. Third floor, so take the elevator. The clinic covers standard dental work — cleanings, fillings, crowns, that kind of thing — and the website has some English content, which is a decent sign. That said, “some English on the website” and “fluent English at the front desk” are two very different things. Walk-in Japanese is probably the default mode here. If your dental Japanese is nonexistent, bring a translation app or a Japanese-speaking friend for anything beyond a basic cleaning. The Shimokitazawa location is genuinely convenient — the station is basically at your feet, served by the Odakyu and Keio Inokashira lines — and the clinic sits in Setagaya, a ward with a solid expat population. Worth a call or email ahead to gauge the English situation before you book.