Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
Neighbourhood Top Five
1Shinjuku at Night Exploring the crackling neon canyons of Tokyo's biggest and most colourful nightlife district, where the vivacity and sheer volume of dining, drinking and entertainment options are something to behold.
2Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Taking in the immensity of the metropolis, which extends to the horizon, from the (free!) observatories atop Tokyo's city hall, also an architectural landmark.
3Shinjuku-gyoen Lazing on the lawn with a bentō (boxed meal) while gazing up at the surrounding skyscrapers.
4Golden Gai Getting cosy in the tiny, ramshackle bars of Shinjuku’s literary and artistic hang-out spot.
5Classic Izakaya Joining the after-work crowd at a Japanese-style pub, such as Donjaca, in Shinjuku-sanchōme.
Explore Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
Shinjuku works neatly as a day-to-night destination. Start with the skyscrapers of Nishi-Shinjuku (west of the train station). Morning is usually the best time of day to see Mt Fuji from the observatories atop the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. For lunch, join the office workers at Shinjuku I-Land, where cheap eateries surround an open courtyard, or hop on the subway for Shinjuku-gyoen – picking up a bentō (boxed meal) on the way – and have a picnic in the park.
Shinjuku has many department stores with fun and fashionable wares, which are a big draw for shoppers. You can also take this opportunity to visit a couple of the city's under-appreciated sights north of Shinjuku, such as the architectural masterpieces St Mary's Cathedral Tokyo and Myōnichikan.
Shinjuku's east side really shines at night – quite literally, with myriad bars, izakaya (Japanese-style pubs), karaoke parlours, and jazz haunts that await. While Friday nights are the most crowded, Shinjuku buzzes every night of the week. Beware the crush of the last train – between midnight and 1am – when packed in like sardines is an understatement.
Local Life
AHang-outs Tokyo's gay community comes together at Aiiro Cafe for happy hour; creative types hit the bars of Golden Gai.
ANoodles Shinjuku, Takadanobaba and Ikebukuro are three oft-cited ramen 'battlegrounds', where cult favourites are born of fierce competition.
AArts Place M is a hub for the city's photographers; gritty Shinjuku has long been a favourite subject of theirs.
Getting There & Away
ATrain The JR Yamanote line connects Shinjuku, Shin-Ōkubo, Takadanobaba and Ikebukuro. The private Keiō New line stops at Hatsudai, west of Shinjuku.
ASubway The Marunouchi line runs east–west, stopping at Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Shinjuku-sanchōme and Shinjuku-gyoenmae. The Fukutoshin line runs north–south, stopping at Shinjuku, Higashi-Shinjuku, Zōshigaya and Ikebukuro. The circuitous Ōedo line stops at Tochōmae, Shinjuku and Higashi-Shinjuku.
Lonely Planet's Top Tip
Even Tokyoites get confused in Shinjuku Station. While it might seem natural to go with the flow, when it comes to reaching your intended destination, your battle begins on the platform: make sure you pick the right exit; otherwise you could wind up completely on the other side of the neighbourhood, having to circumnavigate the huge train station. Coin lockers abound inside the station, but use them at your peril: you might never find your stuff again.
Best Places to Eat
A Nagi
A Donjaca
A Kozue
A Nakajima
Best Places to Drink
A BenFiddich
A Zoetrope
A New York Bar
A Aiiro Cafe
Best Places to Shop
A Isetan
A Beams
A Bingoya
1Sights
1Nishi-Shinjuku
oTokyo Metropolitan Government BuildingNOTABLE BUILDING
(東京都庁; Tokyo Tochō MAP GOOGLE MAP ; http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/english/offices/observat.htm; 2-8-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; hobservatories 9.30am-11pm; bŌedo line to Tochōmae, exit A4)F
Tokyo’s seat of power, designed by Tange Kenzō and completed in 1991, looms large and looks somewhat like a pixelated cathedral (or the lair of an animated villain). Take an elevator from the ground floor of Building 1 to one of the twin 202m-high observatories for panoramic views over the never-ending cityscape (the views are virtually the same from either tower). On a clear day (morning is best), you may catch a glimpse of Mt Fuji to the west.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building | SEAN PAVONE / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Shinjuku I-LandPUBLIC ART
(新宿アイランド MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 6-5-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; bMarunouchi line to Nishi-Shinjuku)
An otherwise ordinary office complex, Shinjuku I-Land (completed in 1995 but conceived before the bursting of the economic bubble) is home to more than a dozen public artworks, including one of Robert Indiana’s Love sculptures and two Tokyo Brushstroke sculptures by Roy Liechtenstein. The open-air courtyard, with stonework by Giulio Paolini and several reasonably priced restaurants, makes for an attractive lunch or coffee stop.
Japanese Sword MuseumMUSEUM
(刀剣博物館 GOOGLE MAP ; www.touken.or.jp; 4-25-10 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku; adult/student/child ¥600/300/free; h9am-4.30pm Tue-Sun; dKeiō New line to Hatsudai, east exit)
In 1948, after American forces returned the katana (Japanese swords) they’d confiscated during the postwar occupation, the national Ministry of Education established a society, and this museum, to preserve the feudal art of Japanese sword-making. There are dozens of swords on display here, accompanied by excellent English explanations.
The museum’s location, in a residential neighbourhood, is not obvious. Head down Kōshū-kaidō to the Park Hyatt and make a left, then the second right under the highway, followed by another quick right and left in succession. There’s a map on the website.
NTT Intercommunication CentreMUSEUM
(ICC; GOOGLE MAP ; www.ntticc.or.jp; 4th fl, Tokyo Opera City, 3-20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; admission charged for special exhibitions; h11am-6pm Tue-Sun; dKeiō New line to Hatsudai)F
The ICC shows challenging, conceptual works that explore the intersection between art and technology. Make sure to check out the changing installations that make use of the museum's eerie, echo-free chamber (experienced one at a time; pick up a reservation ticket from museum staff). Every summer the museum does a program for kids with lots of hands-on, sensory stuff.
1Shinjuku
oShinjuku-gyoenPARK
(新宿御苑 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3350-0151; www.env.go.jp/garden/shinjukugyoen; 11 Naito-chō, Shinjuku-ku; adult/child ¥200/50; h9am-4.30pm Tue-Sun; bMarunouchi line to Shinjuku-gyoenmae, exit 1)
Though Shinjuku-gyoen was designed as an imperial retreat (completed 1906), it’s now definitively a park for everyone. The wide lawns make it a favourite for urbanites in need of a quick escape from the hurly-burly of city life. Don’t miss the greenhouse, with its giant lily pads and perfectly formed orchids, and the cherry blossoms in spring.
Shinjuku-gyoen | ADULDEJ / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Hanazono-jinjaSHINTO SHRINE
(花園神社 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.hanazono-jinja.or.jp; 5-17-3 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; h24hr; bMarunouchi line to Shinjuku-sanchōme, exits B10 & E2)
During the day, merchants from nearby Kabukichō come to this Shintō shrine to pray for the solvency of their business ventures. (Founded in the 17th century, the shrine is dedicated to the god Inari, whose specialities include fertility and worldly success). At night, despite signs asking revellers to refrain, drinking and merrymaking carry over from the nearby bars onto the stairs here. Most Sundays, the shrine hosts a flea market (青空骨董市; Aozora Kottō-ichi MAP GOOGLE MAP ; http://kottou-ichi.jp; Hanazono-jinja, 5-17 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; hdawn-dusk Sun; bMaruno
uchi line to Shinjuku-sanchōme, exits B10 & E2).
Place MGALLERY
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.placem.com; 3rd fl, 1-2-11 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; hnoon-7pm; bMarunouchi line to Shinjuku-gyoenmae, exit 2)F
Run by four veteran photographers (including pioneering street photographer Moriyama Daido), this gallery is a key player in the local scene, hosting exhibitions as well as workshops to nurture new photographers; it also runs a press. There are a few other small photography galleries in the neighbourhood – you'll find tons of flyers by the door.
1Mejiro & Ikebukuro
MyōnichikanARCHITECTURE
(明日館; House of Tomorrow MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.jiyu.jp; 2-31-3 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku; with/without coffee ¥600/400; h10am-4pm Tue-Sun; dJR Yamanote line to Ikebukuro, Metropolitan exit)
Lucky are the girls who attended the Frank Lloyd Wright–designed 'School of the Free Spirit' (Jiyū Gakuen; 自由学園). Built in 1921, Myōnichikan functioned as the school's main structure until the 1970s. After restoration, it was reopened as a public space in 2001. Visitors can tour the facilities and have coffee in the the light-filled hall, sitting at low tables on (mostly) original chairs.
It can be tricky to find, though there are beige and green directional signs (in Japanese) on nearby utility poles.
St Mary's Cathedral TokyoCHURCH
(東京カテドラル聖マリア大聖堂; Sekiguchi Cathedral GOOGLE MAP ; www.tokyo.catholic.jp; 3-16-15 Sekiguchi, Bunkyō-ku; h9am-5pm; bYurakuchō line to Edogawabashi, exit 1A)F
Rising nearly 40m high and glistening in the sun, this stainless-steel contemporary cathedral was completed in 1955. It's the work of Japan's foremost modern architect, Tange Kenzō, and structural and acoustic engineers from the University of Tokyo. If you're lucky, you'll catch someone practising on the pipe organ, the largest in Japan and specially designed for the cathedral; concerts take place here occasionally, too.
Ikebukuro Earthquake HallMUSEUM
(池袋防災館; Ikebukuro Bōsai-kan MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.tfd.metro.tokyo.jp/hp-ikbskan; 2-37-8 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Tōshima-ku; h9am-5pm Wed-Mon, closed 3rd Wed of month; dJR Yamanote line to Ikebukuro, Metropolitan exit)F
This public safety centre has a room that simulates a real earthquake, which is no joke – on our last visit we experienced a re-enactment of the 1923 Kantō quake that was thoroughly rattling. It's obviously intended for school children (who get to experience gentler shakes), but travellers are welcome here, too. Sessions start at 11.10am (50 minutes, including a short subtitled video) and noon (30 minutes, without the video). Reservations not necessary.
2Neighbourhood Walk
Shinjuku at Night
Start Shinjuku Station (east exit)
End Hanazono-jinja
Length 2km; two hours
Shinjuku's east side is lively any night of the week (and busiest on Fridays). Take the east exit and follow the signs out of the station for Kabukichō. Above ground, you'll spot the big screen of 1Studio Alta (スタジオアルタ), a popular Shinjuku meeting spot.
Take the pedestrian street on your left to Yasukuni-dōri, Shinjuku's main drag, where izakaya (Japanese pub-eateries) are stacked several storeys high. At all-night emporium 2Don Quijote you can pick up everything from a bottle of wine to a nurse's costume.
One block west, is the flashing red 3torii (gate) that marks the entrance to Kabukichō, Tokyo’s biggest red-light district. 4Kabukichō Ichiban-gai, the lane that leads into the heart of the neighbourhood, is a strange mix of 'hostess bars' (staffed by sexily clad, flirtatious young women), 'information centres' (which match customers with establishments that suit their particular, uh, needs) and otherwise ordinary restaurants.
Peak around the corner for a spot-on view of 5Shinjuku TOHO building, a new landmark, with its enormous Godzilla statue.
There are innocent ways to blow off steam in Kabukichō, too. Look for 6Oslo Batting Centre on the corner. It’s ¥400 for 20 pitches if you feel like taking a swing.
To the right is a row of 7love hotels (hotels for amorous encounters). Kabukichō is also known for 8host bars, where bleach-blond pretty boys wait on the gals. You'll see plenty of signs for these.
On your left you'll pass the eye-searing entrance to the 9Robot Restaurant, home to one of Kabukichō's most bizarre spectacles (which is saying something). Back on Yasukuni-dōri, turn left. Look for the stone-paved, tree-lined path on your left that leads to atmospheric aGolden Gai and get yourself a drink. Before calling it a night, pay your respects at bHanazono-jinja.
5Eating
5Nishi-Shinjuku & Shinjuku
oNagiRAMEN¥
(凪 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.n-nagi.com; 2nd fl, Golden Gai G2, 1-1-10 Kabukichō, Shinjuku-ku; ramen from ¥850; h24hr; dJR Yamanote line to Shinjuku, east exit)
Nagi, once an upstart, has done well and now has branches around the city – and around Asia. This tiny shop, one of the originals, up a treacherous stairway in Golden Gai, is still our favourite. (It's many people's favourite and often has a line.) The house speciality is niboshi ramen (egg noodles in a broth flavoured with dried sardines).
Look for the sign with a red circle.
NakajimaKAISEKI¥
(中嶋 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3356-4534; www.shinjyuku-nakajima.com; basement fl, 3-32-5 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; lunch/dinner from ¥800/8640; h11.30am-2pm & 5.30-10pm Mon-Sat; bMarunouchi line to Shinjuku-sanchōme, exit A1)
In the evening, this Michelin-starred restaurant serves exquisite kaiseki (Japanese haute cuisine) dinners. On weekdays, it also serves a set lunch of humble iwashi (sardines) for one-tenth the price; in the hands of Nakajima’s chefs they’re divine. The line for lunch starts to form shortly before the restaurant opens at 11.30am. Look for the white sign at the top of the stairs.
Omoide-yokochōYAKITORI¥
(思い出横丁 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Nishi-Shinjuku 1-chōme, Shinjuku-ku; skewers from ¥150; hnoon-midnight, vary by shop; dJR Yamanote line to Shinjuku, west exit)
Since the postwar days, smoke has been billowing night and day from the rickety, wooden yakitori stalls that line this alley by the train tracks, literally translated as ‘Memory Lane’ (and less politely known as Shonben-yokochō, or ‘Piss Alley’). Several stalls have English menus. See if you can't spot the one that has appeared on the cover of Lonely Planet's Tokyo guide.
Restaurant on Omoide-Yokochō | LAURIE NOBLE / GETTY IMAGES ©
NumazukōSUSHI¥
(沼津港 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 3-34-16 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; plates ¥100-550; h11am-10.30pm; W; dJR Yamanote line to Shinjuku, east exit)
Shinjuku's best kaiten-sushi (conveyor-belt sushi) restaurant is pricier than many, but the quality is worth it. It's popularity means that few plates make it around the long, snaking belt without getting snatched up (you can also order off the menu, if you don't see what you want). This is a good choice if you don't want a full meal.
Shinjuku Asia-yokochōASIAN¥
(新宿アジア横丁 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3207-7218; rooftop, 2nd Toa Hall bldg, 1-21-1 Kabukichō, Shinjuku-ku; dishes ¥450-1250; h5pm-midnight Tue-Thu & Sun, 5pm-5am Fri & Sat; dJR Yamanote line to Shinjuku, east exit)
A rooftop night market that spans the Asian continent, Asia-yokochō has vendors dishing out everything from Korean bibimbap to Vietnamese pho. It's noisy, a bit chaotic and particularly fun in a group.
oDonjacaIZAKAYA¥
(呑者家 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3341-2497; 3-9-10 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; dishes ¥350-850; h5pm-7am; bMarunouchi line to Shinjuku-sanchōme, exit C6)
The platonic ideal of a Shōwa-era (1926–89) izakaya, Donjaca, in business since 1979, has red leather stools, paper-lantern lighting and hand-written menus on the wall. The food is equal parts classic (grilled fish and fried chicken) and inventive: house specialities include natto gyoza (dumplings stuffed with fermented soy beans) and mochi gratin. Excellent sake is served in convenient tasting sets.
If it's full, staff will likely direct you around the corner to the larger annexe
.
TsunahachiTEMPURA¥¥
(つな八 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3352-1012; www.tunahachi.co.jp; 3-31-8 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; lunch/dinner from ¥1512/2484; h11am-10.30pm; dJR Yamanote line to Shinjuku, east exit)
Tsunahachi has been expertly frying prawns and vegies for more than 90 years and is an excellent place to get initiated in the art of tempura (foreign tourists get a handy cheat sheet on the different condiments). Set menus (except for the cheaper ones at lunch) are served piece by piece, so everything comes hot and crisp. Indigo noren (curtains) mark the entrance.
KozueJAPANESE¥¥¥
(梢 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-5323-3460; http://tokyo.park.hyatt.jp/en/hotel/dining/Kozue.html; 40th fl, Park Hyatt, 3-7-1-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; lunch set menu ¥2850-12,400, dinner set menu ¥12,400-27,300; h11.30am-2.30pm & 5.30-9.30pm; bŌedo line to Tochōmae, exit A4)
It's hard to beat Kozue's combination of well-executed, seasonal Japanese cuisine, artisan crockery and soaring views over Shinjuku from the floor-to-ceiling windows. As the (kimono-clad) staff speak English and the restaurant caters well to allergies and personal preferences, this is a good splurge spot for diners who don't want to give up complete control. Reservations are essential.
Lonely Planet Tokyo Page 19