Shinjuku! By far our favourite district in Tokyo! Why? Because this is where you will find the madness of Shinjuku night neon lights. You will find hidden alleys of bars and restaurants. You will find an incredible buzz of people. Which is no wonder seeing as Shinjuku houses the busiest railway station in the world!!! Yep!
In our Shinjuku travel guide we share with you the best things to do in Shinjuku as well as the top places to see in Shinjuku. We let you in on the secret of the best Shinjuku restaurants and we give you a handy list of hotels in Shinjuku; because after all, in our opinion, this is the district that you should choose to book your hotel in!
Tokyo Post Series:The Top Things to do in Shinjuku Japan
| Our Favourite District in Tokyo, Japan! |
*Please note affiliate links are used in this post. Shinjuku interesting places to seeBelow you will find our list of our personal favourite Shinjuku points of interest. Let's face it, each district in Tokyo is large enough to be a 'city', so it is easy to get lost. Make sure you have working WiFi so that you can manoeuvre around to the Shinjuku attractions more easily, trust me, a paper Shinjuku map won't help you here!
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1. Kabukichō
The Entertainment and Red Light District of Tokyo!
Kabukicho in Shinjuku TokyoShinjuku Kabukichō is one of the more popular of the red light districts in Tokyo! It happens to be the location of many love hotels, host and hostess clubs, restaurants, theme clubs and nightclubs. The streets in this area truly come alive at night and is often called the "Sleepless Town" as a result.
Whilst Kabukichō is an entertainment and red light district, due to the discretion in the clubs and hotels, we were comfortable enough to visit the street in the early evening with our kids in hand! They loved staring at all the brightly coloured lights of Shinjuku at night surrounding them. We had dinner at one of the tiny restaurants in the area, before leaving to head back to the hotel.
Night Scene in Tokyo Shinjuku DistrictIf you are wondering what to do in Shinjuku at night, then this is it! The lights, the atmosphere, the buzz was simply incredible to see!
2. Omoide Yokocho (Piss Alley)
For an Atmospheric Collection of Teeny Tiny Bars & Restaurants!
I think this must be one of the more unique things of what to do in Shinjuku and definitely our recommendation of one of the top things to do in Shinjuku at night (although I think it would be loads more fun without kids here).
Piss Alley can be found on the West side of Shinjuku station. It is a pretty tiny little alley that is lined with the smallest bars and restaurants that you have ever seen! I think ultimately though the little eateries are only there as means to keep up the healthy drinking habit in the little bars! haha!
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Did you KnowYou Can Enjoy a Tokyo Bar Hopping Tour at Japanese Local Taverns in Shinjuku
Experience Shinjuku's backstreet bars, that are normally a little hard for Tourists to navigate - try this fun and low cost bar hopping tour with locals
CLICK HERE TO CHECK PRICES AND INFO________________________
Our favourite of the Shinjuku points of interest!If you love the idea of scouting out all the super cool Tokyo alleyways, we highly recommend you check out this comprehensive guide.
3. Government Building for Views
Top free Shinjuku things to do activityI don't think that many tourists are aware that you can get a free panoramic view over Tokyo from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office. The building is located 10 minutes from Shinjuku station by foot. From the top you get to enjoy views over many famous Tokyo landmarks, such as the Tokyo Tower. There is also a souvenir shop as well as a restaurant on the top floor level!
If you feel like you would prefer to have someone guide you from the station to the government building, you can hire a local guide for only US $12. See more info here.
Alternatively, you might want to get a birds eye view from a helicopter. It will be a 15 min ride that you will never forget, what an unforgettable experience! Get more info on the helicopter tour here.
4. Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
One of Tokyo's Most Beautiful Parks
Shinjuku sightseeing to see one of the most beautiful parksWondering what to see in Shinjuku Tokyo that is a bit more calm and natural? The Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden must be one of the more beautiful of the Shinjuku sights to see. This park is a very popular park in Tokyo, which is located close to the Shinjuku Station.
The park features a Japanese Garden, an English Garden and a French Garden. It is a great place to view the Cherry Blossom trees whilst in bloom too! If you are after an escape from the busy city vibe, then this is a great place to go and catch a breather!
5. Shinjuku Golden Gai
More than 270 Tiny Drinking Dens in Narrow Little Alleys!
Located in Shinjuku's Kabukicho you will find a collection of narrow streets that are filled to the brim with unique little bar dens!
Not only can you enjoy a night of bar hopping but you can also enjoy different bar environments. Some are all about hard rock whilst others are more refined and offer cocktails. Be aware thought that some of these bars will charge you a pretty steep cover fee. Definitely a great night out!
6. Shinjuku Robot Restaurant
The Most Bizarre Show Ever!
Witness the multi-colored laser lights, flashy dancers, and extravagant robots putting on a show at one of Tokyo's famous themed dining spots. I think this must be the most famous of the attractions in Shinjuku, I know you have all heard about this crazy show right!? If you are after interesting places in Shinjuku to check out .... well it doesn't come much more interesting than this!
Cost: US $73 (Important to Pre-Book this one as it fill up super fast!)
BOOK TICKETS FOR THE WEIRDEST SHOW YOU WILL EVER SEE7. Shinjuku Shopping
Shopping in Shinjuku is a pretty big thing! You will quickly notice that almost everyone looks pretty fashionable. For some, entertainment involves heading to the Shinjuku shopping street for a little social shopping of clothing and accessories!
A typical Shinjuku department store has multiple levels of various Shinjuku shops. The most popular of these include Isetan, Takashimaya and Odakyu.
If you prefer to enjoy some Shinjuku cheap shopping, then we suggest you head in to one of the 100 yen shops! The daiso Shinjuku shops are pretty small, but if you are after cheap shopping in Shinjuku then you will enjoy the experience! You can find a list of the best 100 shops in Tokyo here.
Cherry Blossom Season in Shinjuku
Cherry Blossom Season tends to be End-March till Mid-April in Tokyo. Timing Varies on the Weather so Best to Check the Cherry Blossom Forecast.
During Sakura you can see some beautiful Cherry Blossom trees in bloom in the Shinjuku area. We happened to come across these trees by chance, so if you are hoping to see some Cherry Blossom trees in bloom. We highly recommend you join a tour so that a local guide can take you around to the best parks and gardens where you can enjoy the wonderful view of the blossoming cherries. Check out prices and more info on this tour here.
Cherry Blossoms just outside the Japan Shinjuku Train StationBest Restaurants in Shinjuku
If you are a lover of Japanese food, then you are probably looking for a list of the best places to eat in Shinjuku. There are plenty of good restaurants in Shinjuku, but if you are after the best of the best then we would like to warn you that you might have to expect waiting queues at the entrance.
Some of our favourite restaurants in Shinjuku include:
- Fu-unji for a delicious bowl of ramen (the hot favourite is tokusei tsukemen)
- Mentsu-dan for freshly made udon noodles
- Kyubey for more traditional, high quality sushi
- Hajimeya for yummy yakitori (if you are brave try the toriwasa, raw chicken on the inside with a toasty grill on the outside)
- Nakajima for cheap but impressive 1 star Michelin dining
- Can you add any items to our list of 'What to see in Shinjuku'?
- Would you like to visit Shinjuku?
- Which attractions have you popped on you sightseeing in Shinjuku list?
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