Open Shinjuku in the guide, with the map, the walks and the places you can see for free.
Shinjuku, Tokyo
The city in miniature: skyscrapers west, Golden Gai's tin-roof bars and Omoide Yokocho's yakitori smoke east, Shinjuku Gyoen's gardens an unexpected hush in the middle. Day and night feel like two cities.
How I use Shinjuku
The busiest station on earth, and two minutes from the west exit the alleys of Omoide Yokocho hold forty years of yakitori smoke. Golden Gai's two-hundred tiny bars each seat six. Kabukicho's neon is the postcard, the human-scale alleys around it are the reason to stay past midnight.
What Shinjuku is known for
Shinjuku is Tokyo at full volume and in miniature all at once: skyscraper hotels and the free observation decks of the Metropolitan Government Building to the west, the neon of Kabukicho and the tiny bars of Golden Gai and Omoide Yokocho to the east, and the unexpected calm of Shinjuku Gyoen's gardens in the middle. Shinjuku Station is the busiest railway station on earth.
Getting to Shinjuku
Shinjuku Station is served by the JR Yamanote, Chuo, Sobu, Saikyo and Shonan-Shinjuku lines, the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi line, the Toei Shinjuku and Oedo lines, and the Odakyu and Keio private railways. It has around 200 exits, so the direction matters more than the station: West Exit for the skyscrapers, East Exit for Kabukicho and the alleys, South Exit for Gyoen and the newer towers.
Treat the exits as different cities. Do the west-side skyscrapers and the free tower view by day, then cross under to the east for Omoide Yokocho's yakitori smoke and Golden Gai after dark.
What to eat & do in Shinjuku
I've vetted 19 places in Shinjuku myself, including 3 for ramen, 2 for sushi and 2 for bars & izakaya. Each one in the guide carries the nearest station and exit, what to order and the reservation reality.
The full names and the exact directions open in the full guide, that specificity is the whole product.
Is it worth it? Honest takes in Shinjuku
Shinjuku, Tokyo: frequently asked questions
Is Shinjuku worth visiting?
Yes, it's one area that shows you both Tokyos in a night. The free observation deck at the Metropolitan Government Building, the neon of Kabukicho, the forty-year-old yakitori alleys of Omoide Yokocho, the six-seat bars of Golden Gai, and Shinjuku Gyoen's gardens are all here. It rewards staying past midnight.
How do I get to Shinjuku?
Almost every line reaches it. The JR Yamanote loop stops at Shinjuku Station, as do the Chuo, Marunouchi, Oedo, Odakyu and Keio lines. From Tokyo Station take the Chuo line (~14 min); from Shibuya the Yamanote line (~5 min).
What is Shinjuku known for?
Skyscrapers and hotels on the west side, the Kabukicho entertainment district and its neon, the tiny bars of Golden Gai and Omoide Yokocho, department stores, and Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. The Godzilla head over Kabukicho is a favorite landmark.
Is Kabukicho safe for tourists?
Generally yes if you use normal city sense. Kabukicho is Tokyo's biggest nightlife district and it's busy and well-policed; the honest advice is to ignore touts and street promoters offering to lead you to a bar, and stick to places you chose yourself.
See Shinjuku before you go
I've filmed 25 walks through Shinjuku, on foot, no cuts and no commentary. Watch the light, the crowd and the pace before you decide how to spend an evening here.
Explore nearby
- Shibuya, Energy capital.
- Asakusa, Old-Tokyo temple district.
- Ginza, Old-money Tokyo.
- Harajuku & Omotesando, Takeshita Street's teenage chaos one block from Omotesando's quiet luxury, the most architecturally beautiful shopping street in Tokyo.
- Ueno & Yanaka, Museum row meets a low-key neighborhood untouched by the bubble years.
- Akihabara, Anime, manga, retro arcades, ramen counters at 2am.