Shinjuku (Tokyo, Japan)
Welcome to Shinjuku!
Home to both the world’s busiest train station and Asia’s largest entertainment district, Shinjuku is easily Tokyo’s most vibrant ward, dazzling and dismaying open-mouthed travellers in equal measure. Though it’s evidently bewildering - a riot of enticing aromas, blazing neon and hordes of people - Shinjuku is still a very Japanese riot. Thus, even with so many outlandish sights trying to assault your senses, the whole area remains governed by the same invisible principles of neatness, organisation and politeness which characterise the city, and indeed the country, as a whole. This makes Shinjuku incredibly accessible. Sure, it’s brash, bizarre and busy to the point of being intoxicating but it’s not uncomfortably overwhelming, even after dark when some areas can appear a little seedy. Moreover, there are alcoves of peace, quiet and tradition to be found even here, just as there are elsewhere in the capital.
Simply put, Shinjuku is modern Japanese society in microcosm, and no visit to Tokyo is complete without experiencing its beguilingly full-on charms at least once…
Shinjuku’s Standout Sights
The best way to get acquainted with Shinjuku is to follow your nose. Honestly, the street food here is the stuff of legend, with everything from yakitori meat skewers to red bean paste cakes and even octopus balls readily on hand, as fresh and tasty as can be. Wash down your eats with a beer in one of the intimate, old-fashioned bars that fill the the evocative Golden Gai area’s narrow alleyways, before heading to the nearby melee that is the Kabukicho entertainment district. Here you can order dinner in a Robot Restaurant, enjoy cocktails in a hostess bar, or belt out tunes with your pals in a karaoke bar. Or you can simply wander the streets, soaking up the carnivalesque atmosphere and taking epic photos. Shinjuku Gyoen, a large, pretty park with landscaped gardens and a scenic lake, offers welcome respite, its Zen-like tranquility providing the perfect antidote to the surrounding madness. Be sure to visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Building skyscraper at some point too - its free observation deck affords truly spectacular views of Tokyo’s sprawling urban landscape. Come around sunset or after dark for the most stunning vistas.
A Vast Selection of Shinjuku Hotels
With Shinjuku accommodation options ranging from iconic capsule hotels and quaint ryokan guesthouses to luxe international chains and risque love hotels, finding a suitable place to lay your head here is a cinch. Capsule hotels - originally designed to accommodate drunk businessmen who’d missed the train home - are worth staying in for the novelty value, although those suffering with claustrophobia may think otherwise. Love hotels tend to charge by the hour thereby attracting a very niche corner of the market, while ryokans can vary significantly, both in terms of quality and cost. Thanks largely to its starring role in the hugely popular film, Lost in Translation, the Park Hyatt Tokyo is arguably the most desirable of all the top-end international chains in and around Shinjuku.
Our own top picks in this area include the plush Shinjuku Granbell Hotel, an ultra- modern four-star hotel in the heart of Kabukicho offering cityscape vistas, a superb restaurant and a rooftop bar. Hotel Gracery Shinjuku, a contemporary 30-storey tower hotel boasting a quirky Godzilla theme and pretty epic views, is well worth a look too.
Contact
1-4-1 Kabukicho, Shinjukuku, Tokyo, 160-8484,