The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps
On our way back to Shinjuku from Doraemon Museum, we passed by Shimokitazawa, commonly known as Shimokita. It’s only a few stops away from Shinjuku station. Located at the western part of Tokyo, Shimokita is a small hipster town that’s popular among the young crowd. It’s comparably smaller …
After all the shopping and eating in Shinjuku (“What to Do at Shinjuku Tokyo, Japan?“,“What to Eat in Shinjuku Tokyo? (Part 1)” and “(Part 2)“), I needed to find some respite in the nature. So glad there’s a huge garden, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, walkable from …
Other than Ginza, Shibuya and Harajuku (Nature or Shopping), Shinjuku is the other famous district of Tokyo. So, what to do at Shinjuku? Tonnes!
We were contemplating where to base ourselves in Tokyo — Shibuya or Shinjuku? Many advice pointed us to stay in Shinjuku because Shinjuku train station has many train lines, belonging to different train companies, that will conveniently bring us around Tokyo. This definitely saves much time and money.
We ended up in an airbnb that is about 10-15 minutes walk to Shinjuku station. It’s not as near as we thought, but most accommodation in Japan isn’t that near to a train station, so this airbnb is considered relatively near.
One good thing about this airbnb is that we would walk through Southern Terrace to the train station, and passed by Gontran Cherrier for breakfast everyday! Yums~ You can also find more information about the popular ramen and udon eateries near the airbnb in ‘What to Eat in Shinjuku Tokyo? (Part 1)’. You can also check out our airbnb review.
The Southern Terrace is a 350 m stretch of walkway from Shinjuku train station’s south exit towards Yoyogi. Here, you can find many cafes such as Gotran Cherrier, Krispy Kreme and Starbucks.
From Shinjuku Southern Terrace, you’re able to walk to one of the entrances of Times Square, a mega-mall complex which houses Takashimaya department store and Tokyu Hands. Tokyu Hands sells all kinds of goods from snacks to bags to stationery to home DIY to beauty products. Otherwise, head to Kinokuniya next door and bury yourself in Japanese manga that have been translated into English.
If you are looking for a quick bite or delicious takeaway food, then go the basement of Takashimaya and buy your food around the 2,700 sqft food hall. Grab some food and have a picnic at the nearby Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. But if you prefer a sit down restaurant, head to the upper floors and pick from over twenty restaurants selling a variety of cuisines. For more, read What to Eat in Shinjuku Tokyo? (Part 1, Part 2).
View as we walk from our airbnb through Southern Terrace to Shinjuku Station
Around Shinjuku Station itself, you can find many department stores for shopping and eating. Usually there will be a food hall in the basement and restaurants on the upper floors.
As you step a little further away from Shinjuku’s exits, you will find Japan’s two leading discount electronics retailers.
Shinjuku is much bigger than Shinjuku Station and the area around South exit. Let’s see what other places Shinjuku has to offer.
To the West of Shinjuku Station, it’s the office and skyscraper district. Firstly, head to Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office and enjoy the panoramic city view for free! Find out more about this awesome view, along with those at Tokyo Tower and Skytree in my other post.
In this West district, you can also dine in one of the restaurants located at the top floors of some tall buildings. Enjoy the great city views while eating! If you like this area, you can stay in a luxurious hotel such as Hilton, Hyatt Regency and Park Hyatt.
However, if you are less interested in the bling but more of the city’s secret stories, walk on to the central public park behind Tokyo Metropolitan Government Towers. You’ll find Kumano Shrine (Kumano Jinja) and a sizable homeless population.
As you travel from the East to the West via the North, you may come across a pedestrian overpass. More specifically, it’s at the northwest of Shinjuku station. Walk across this elevated walkway and have a view of the Shinjuku area. Walk on and you will come to Piss Alley at the North of Shinjuku Station.
Omoide Yokocho (memory lane), nicknamed as the Piss Alley, is a network of narrow alleys filled with tiny eateries known for their unique dishes and yakitori pubs. A few minutes walk from Shinjuku station and you will find this cramped, run-down place that’s filled with a nostalgic atmosphere of old-style Japanese drinking experience.
Piss Alley was nicknamed as such because of its early days. It used to be a place with no toilet facilities, so patrons had to relieve themselves against nearby train tracks or wherever they could. Most of the ramshackle post-war infrastructure was destroyed by a fire in 1999 and rebuilt with toilets.
Find out more about the food you can find at Piss Alley in my other post, “What to Eat in Shinjuku Tokyo? (Part 2)”
On Shinjuku train station’s East exit is the prominent entertainment district around Kabukicho. Yes, you can find many shopping such as Isetan department store. However, Kabukicho is still the highlight of the East side. Kabukicho is Japan’s largest red light district with many restaurants, bars, nightclubs, love hotels, etc.
And if you have heard about the robot restaurant, it’s at 1-7-1 Kabukicho. You have to reserve in advance with the admission fee at ¥8,000 (S$100.40). If you want to eat the-reviews-not-so-good meal, it’s ¥1,000 (S$12.55) per pax. If I’m not wrong, it was only S$80+ when we wanted to go in Feb 2016, but still decided it was too expensive. Moreover, seeing video clips of the robot show, we decided it wasn’t our cup of tea.
If you want only a drink or snacks, head to Golden Gai (“Golden District”), a sub-section of Kabukicho. The place is packed with small bars and eateries, seating only a few customers. A few shops cater to regular customers and so you might be turned away even though there are empty seats. Otherwise, just go to those bars with English menus set outside.
Otherwise, if you simply want to walk the streets and explore Kabukicho, be sure not to go alone. Our airbnb host didn’t recommend us to explore this area, for she thinks it’s a dangerous place. If you must go, then be prepared to get bugged by the touts. However, of some whispering about the place, certain shops only cater to Japanese patrons.
We didn’t head to Kabukicho and Golden Gai because it was already too late and we didn’t want to venture into such a place late in the night. So can’t give any comment!
Around Shinjuku
Another idea for you is to wash, cut, perm or dye your hair at the East of Shinjuku. I almost went to miel hair Shinjuku for a cut but my dinner appointment overran. :( Anyway, you can check out their website and special promotion on rakuten. If you do go, tell me how is it! I was really keen to try Tokyo’s hair salon. >.< If you have JCB card, ask the JCB concierge to help you book an appointment. :)
However, if you want a respite from the crowd, there’s the Shinjuku-gyoen National Garden as you move southward from East exit’s downtown area. The garden was where hubby and I first saw our first sakura bloom! We thought we were too early to see any in early March, but boy were we surprised! :)
More on the garden in our next post! Have fun in Shinjuku~ And for dining options around Shinjuku, pop by “What to Eat in Shinjuku Tokyo? (Part 1)?” and “(Part 2)” for reference. :)
Do you have other recommendations of where to go in Shinjuku? Tell us below or on our Facebook Page or Instagram. Moreover, bookmark this page > Overview Itinerary: Hokkaido and Tokyo (Winter/Spring 2016).
For food lovers hunting for good food around Tokyo, I’m writing a series of the food we tried (or almost tried) around Ginza, Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku. Look out for our honest reviews. :P First it was “What to Eat in Ginza“, then “What to Eat in Harajuku and …
For food lovers hunting for good food around Tokyo, I’m writing a series of the food we tried (or almost tried) around Ginza, Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku. Look out for our honest reviews. :P First it was “What to Eat in Ginza“, then “What to Eat in Harajuku and …
There are many places in Tokyo where you can admire the incredible panoramic views of the city. People usually head to Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office, Tokyo Skytree or Tokyo Tower. Otherwise, you can go to other sites which include Roppongi Hills, Tokyo World Trade Center, Bunkyo Civic Center and Sunshine 60.
As beautiful as the view might be, I wasn’t that keen to pay for it. After a while, I realised the views in different cities are more or less the same. Put the photos of the night views together and I wouldn’t be able to tell which city is which, though my eye is sharper for day views.
BUT if it’s free, I wouldn’t mind going high up. :P Find out the two places we went for free!
Tokyo Tower (東京タワー) stands at 333 m, 33 m taller than the Eiffel Tower where it got its lattice inspiration. Moreover, Tokyo Tower was Japan’s tallest structure from 1958 until 2012 when Tokyo Skytree surpassed its height.
Other than being a observation tower, Tokyo Tower is also a communications tower that broadcasts signals for Japanese TV media outlets. However Tokyo Tower’s height was not enough for Japan’s transition to digital television and hence a taller Tokyo Skytree was built for digital broadcasting.
Unlike what you see, Tokyo Tower is not painted in red and white but international orange and white. It was painted in such colours to comply with air safety regulations. And when you are there at sunset or night, you will see the tower light up in warm orange during cold winter months and in cool white during hot summer months.
Tokyo Tower has two observatories with 360 degrees panoramic view:
We got up the Tokyo Tower for free because we had JCB cards :) There’s a JCB complimentary entry to the main observatory when you present your JCB card at the ticket office (1st floor). We remained at 150 m because we didn’t want to pay extra to get to the Special Observatory. :P
Even at 150 m, there were still some interesting views from the main deck. Furthermore, there are a few look-down glass panels on the floor. So, look out for them and stand on them! Though I had this inexplicable fear of the glass cracking and me falling through. Hence I only squatted at the side and peeped down. Anyway, it wasn’t crowded at all during that Monday we went and so we had the whole glass panel to ourselves for photo taking. Hur hur.
As we were walking around the deck, we spotted two funnily dressed guys and assumed Harajuku fashion has descended on Tokyo Tower. Then they started talking to people and taking photos with them! Later we realised, they’re “Noppon Brothers”, Tokyo Tower’s mascots who were “born” in 1998 to celebrate the tower’s 40th anniversary.
Don’t leave just yet! At the foot of the tower, there’s a Foot Town where you can find the tower gallery, an aquarium gallery, a runner salon and a food souvenir shop to buy a variety of Tokyo Banana. Use your JCB card at participating Tower’s official shops to get 10% off.
One notable place you’ll find at Foot Town is the Tokyo One Piece Tower. So if you’re a fan of One Piece, be sure to visit this “theme park” with exhibits, live shows, shops and restaurants within.
Otherwise, available to public is the One Piece Mugiwara Store that carries all kinds of One Piece goodies, from t-shirts to toys. The shop is nicely decorated and shop assistants dressed up to draw you into the world of One Piece. :)
As mentioned above, Tokyo Skytree (東京スカイツリー) is built as the new television broadcasting tower for digital televisions. At the height of 634 m, it also became the tallest building in Japan in 2012.
Tokyo Skytree has two observatories with 360 degrees panoramic view:
Tokyo Skytree is also the centerpiece of the Tokyo Skytree Town in the Sumida District (near to Asakusa). This town is built as a community center for business, entertainment, and culture. Evidently, Tokyo Solamachi, surrounding the base of Tokyo Skytree, is a large dining, shopping and entertainment complex with over 300 shops and restaurants.
If you are not willing to fork out money for a bird’s eye view of Japan and you don’t have a JCB card, this is the place to come to! Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office is a 243 m tall twin towers in Shinjuku and each tower has an observation deck on the 45th floor, at 202 m.
Since it’s free, you can go day and night! :) If you are going during the day, head to the South Observation Deck to see the popular Odaiba entertainment district. But if you’re going at night, only the North Deck is opened.
Scroll down for the various options to travel from Haneda Airport to Tokyo: Tokyo Monorail & JR Easiest Way Price: 490 yen (one way) from Haneda Airport to Hamamatsu Cho; another 200 yen to Shinjuku 500 yen (one way) from Haneda Airport Terminal to any …
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April 2016 and a few links have been updated for accuracy. Three options to travel from Narita Airport to Tokyo. N’EX (Narita Express) Fast and convenient, but not cheap Price: 4,000 yen, ~S$50 (round trip); from 3,020 …