12 Best Things to Do in Shinjuku – The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo’s Most Vibrant District!

February 12th, 2019 by Evan | Tagged in: Japan, Shinjuku, Tokyo

This is our list of 12 best things to do in Shinjuku, Tokyo! We had an awesome time at this vibrant district, which is what most people imagine what they think of Tokyo: bright neon lights, busy streets, crowded train stations, commercial buildings, and large shopping malls. Shinjuku is divided into two adjacent areas: “East Shinjuku” (Higashi-Shinjuku) and “West Shinjuku” (Nishi-Shinjuku). On the “east” side, we experienced a bustling entertainment hub with neon signboards, awesome restaurants, bars, and various nightlife spots. On the “west” side, we saw a sprawl of modern buildings and skyscrapers. Both areas are within walking distance of each other. This article was last updated on 30 December 2019.

1. Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (新宿御苑) is one of Tokyo’s largest and most beautiful public parks.

The park’s lush greenery, gorgeous landscaping, tranquil lakes and serene walking paths provide the perfect escape from the surrounding hustle and bustle of Shinjuku.

There are different themed areas in the park, such as a French garden, a Japanese garden, and an English landscaped garden. There is even a greenhouse with a mini waterfall.

Shinjuku Gyoen is also one of the top places in Tokyo to view the cherry blossoms in spring.

We were amazed that such a huge park existed in the heart of Shinjuku! We wandered around the garden and took plenty of beautiful pictures. After a while, we sat down on a park bench to revel in the picturesque scenery.

In total, we spent about two hours here. We did not manage to explore the entire park because it was too big. But this was truly the perfect place to spend our morning!

Shinjuku Gyoen has three gates:

Shinjuku Gate is a ten minute walk east from the “New South Exit” of Shinjuku Station, or a five minute walk from Shinjuku Gyoenmae Station.
Okido Gate is a five minute walk from Shinjuku Gyoenmae Station.
Sendagaya Gate is a five minute walk from Sendagaya Station.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Address: 11 Naitomachi, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-0014, Japan
Admission Fee: JPY500 (from 19 March 2019)

Opening Hours:

9am to 6pm (mid Mar through Jun and late Aug through Sep)
9am to 5pm (Jul to mid Aug)
9am to 4pm (Oct to mid Mar)
CLOSED on Mondays, and from 29 Dec to 03 Jan

2. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

View from the North Tower

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building houses the headquarters of the Tokyo Government.

However, the complex is more famous for offering awesome aerial views of Tokyo from its two observation decks, located on the 45th floor of the North and South Towers respectively.

From the 202 metres decks, visitors get to enjoy wonderful paranomic views of the Tokyo skyline.

On a clear day, you can see famous landmarks such as the Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Skytree, Meiji Shrine, Tokyo Dome, and even Mount Fuji in the distance.

Best of all, admission is completely free!

When we visited on a weekday in November at around 3pm, there was a queue of about 20 people and we had to wait for around 15 minutes.

When it was our turn, we were ushered into the elevator which whooshed us up to the 45th floor in less than one minute.

We only went up the North Tower because the South Tower was closed for renovations. Unfortunately, the weather was quite foggy that day so we didn’t get very good views.

We spent just a short while here before leaving. We saw a counter with an inked stamp near the elevator, which you can chop on your passport if you’re interested.

Pro-tip: The North Tower offers better views of Mount Fuji. And the cafe in this tower becomes a lively bar in the evening.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (Observation Decks)
Address: 2 Chome-8-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo 163-8001, Japan
Website: www.metro.tokyo.jp/english/offices/observat.html
Directions: Take the subway to Tocho-Mae Station, which is located in the basement of the building, OR walk for ten minutes via the underpass from JR Shinjuku Station west exit.

3. Omoide Yokocho

Banshakuya storefront

Omoide Yokocho is a narrow alleyway near Shinjuku Station lined with a tidy sprawl of small restaurants and izakayas selling grilled food and alcohol.

It is also known as “Memory Lane” or “Piss Alley” (an inaccurate English translation of “Omoide Yokocho”).

Walking through the alley, we were not sure which one of the many restaurants we should check out.

A few restaurants seemed quite popular with many locals eating inside, but their menus were in Japanese only. And the staff didn’t seem too welcoming even when we stood outside peering inside curiously, hoping to get their attention.

There were also many shops selling exotic foods like grilled intestines, Chinese turtles, frog sashimi, horse meat, pig testicles (urgh), etc.

However, we were not really interested in those. Being Chinese, we already have our fair share of exotic foods back home in Singapore, so tonight we just wanted to enjoy some normal izakaya food.

Finally, we decided to enter one restaurant that had an English menu and also seemed quite tourist friendly. The restaurant’s name is Banshakuya.

After looking through the menu, we ordered the grilled chicken (JPY160 per stick), shiitake mushroom (JPY150 per stick), grilled pork belly (JPY180 per stick), tamago (JPY340) and Kirin draft beer (JPY390 for half pint)

Even though these were pretty standard Japanese food, they tasted super delicious! I especially enjoyed the grilled chicken, which was wonderfully tender, savoury and juicy. Together with the smooth Kirin draft beer, this was a super satisfying meal.

On the whole, we enjoyed our experience at Omoide Yokocho. We visited at night and it had a lively buzzing atmosphere. This alleyway is definitely worth checking out.

However, the area did feel a little touristy with many restaurants geared towards tourists. The bright neon sign at the alley entrance felt a little commercial as well. We did spot a few restaurants with many locals inside, but on the whole the area had a distinct touristy vibe (which may not be a bad thing entirely).

Omoide Yokocho
Address: 1 Chome-2 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tōkyō-to 160-0023, Japan
Opening Hours: Daily 5pm to 12am (varies between shops)
Directions: Three minute walk from Shinjuku Station

4. Isetan Shinjuku

trying out some udon

happy with our Yoku Moku Chocolate loot!

plenty of free food samples at the basement food hall!

Isetan Shinjuku is a famous full service department store that sells luxury goods, branded clothes, beauty products, household items, and more. For the guys, there is also an Isetan Men’s building.

The building has a lot of history as it was built way back in 1933.

This was a nice mall to walk around for a short while. However, we didn’t find any bargains in the luxury boutiques here because the prices were around the same as Singapore shops.

However, that was ok because the main reason we visited Isetan was to check out the famous depachika (food hall) at the basement!

There was an amazing array of foods and snacks here, all displayed neatly in clear glass counters.

We also had a lot of fun trying all the delicious free food samples, such as Japanese tidbits, sweet potato, tea, bacon, udon, and more.

I was very impressed by the friendly Japanese staff at the food counters, who always greeted us cheerfully. And they tried their best to answer our queries using their limited English when we asked them questions.

After shopping around for a while, we bought the popular Yoku Moku chocolates, which were a lot cheaper than the ones sold in Singapore.

Isetan Shinjuku
Address:〒160-0022 3-14-1, Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Directions: Five minute walk from JR Shinjuku East Gate
Opening Hours: Daily 10.30am to 8pm

5. Takashimaya Times Square

KitKat Chocolatory

Amazing variety of Kit Kats!

Takashimaya Times Square is a 16-storey complex that is home to Takashimaya Department Store, hobby store Tokyu Hands, and the Kinokuniya Bookstore.

Like Isetan, Takashimaya is a full-service department store that has many luxury boutiques, cosmetic shops, household accessories shops, toy shops, and more.

The department store’s history can be traced back to almost 200 years ago, when it started as a small kimono shop in Kyoto in 1831.

Again, the main reason we came here was to check out the depachika / food hall at the basement. Similar to Isetan, we found many food counters in the food hall.

Our favourite counter here was the KitKat Chocolatory, which sells an impressive array of KitKat flavours. If you’ve ever wondered what Sake KitKat or Butter KitKat tastes like, well here’s your chance.

However, compared to Isetan, I felt that the variety of food at Takashimaya was less. There were also fewer free food samples. Visit both depachikas if you have time, but if you had to choose one, go for the Isetan food hall.

Takashimaya Times Square
Address: 5-24-2 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-8580
Website: www.takashimaya-global.com/en/stores/shinjuku
Directions: Five minute walk from JR Shinjuku South Exit via the Shinjuku Southern Terrace.
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 8pm

6. Godzilla Head

moments before I got trampled by Godzilla

The famous Godzilla Head is a life-size model of the fictional sea monster’s head, located on top of the Toho Building. The building is also home to Hotel Gracery, a value-for-money four star hotel that even has Godzilla-themed rooms!

This super cool Godzilla even “roars” for 30 seconds on the hour every day from 12pm to 8pm. During the display, you will see lasers and steam coming out from its mouth.

You can either look at the Godzilla Head from the street, or see it up close by going up the building. Here’s how you can do the latter:

Take the lift to the 8th floor, and walk through a hallway lined with Godzilla movie posters to reach the hotel lounge. Exit the lounge through the glass doors to the outdoor terrace, and you will find the imposing Godzilla Head.

According to a sign on the glass doors, only hotel guests or hotel cafe customers can enter the terrace. However, based on online reviews, the hotel is not very strict on this policy. Therefore, you should be able to enter the terrace without any issues.

Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to see the Godzilla Head up close. However, we did manage to see it peeking over the building from street level.

Initially we thought it would be quite easy to locate the large Godzilla Head. However, we had to circle the area several times with our heads looking up before finally locating this iconic attraction.

If you have time, I strongly recommend going up the building to check out the Godzilla Head up close.

Godzilla Head
Address: Shinjuku Toho Building (1 Chome-19-1 Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-0021, Japan)
Direction: Five minute walk from Shinjuku Station

7. Kabuchiko

Free photo op outside Robot Restaurant

Kabuchiko is Japan’s largest red light district. It is home to nightclubs, love hotels, adult toys shops, and sleazy massage shops. However, other than dodgy establishments, there are also many awesome restaurants in the area.

Walking around the colourful district, we found it to be simultaneously intriguing and repelling.

We saw many sleazy shops, but perhaps the most interesting one was a small shop where you could pay to “peek” at ladies changing clothes.

We also walked past the Robot Restaurant. This establishment hosts a bizarre “high tech show” with plenty of laser lights, loud music, flamboyant performers, and quirky stage props.

We didn’t watch the show, but based on online reviews, opinions are pretty polarised. If you are wondering whether you should check it out, perhaps watching this will help.

We visited Kabuchiko in the early evening around 5pm and felt very safe. That said, you should always have common sense and keep your wits around you. We only spent around 30 minutes walking around the area.

If you are travelling as a young group, remember to keep your behaviour in check because the area is known to be managed by the Yakuza.

Kabuchiko
Address: Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-0021
Opening Hours: | Daily 11am to 12am for Restaurants | Daily 7pm till next morning for bars |
Directions: Five minute walk from Shinjuku Station

8. Shinjuku Golden Gai

at the entrance of Golden Gai

Shinjuku Golden Gai is a small lively district home to a tidy sprawl of intimate bars and restaurants. The old-school area exudes a charming post war Tokyo vibe.

Note that most of the bars have a cover charge, and some only welcome local customers.

Ladies can check out Bar Darling, a female friendly 8-seater bar manned by female staff only.

We were quite tired by the time we reached Golden Gai (read: old age), so we didn’t go into any of the bars. However, I was definitely able to sense the lively atmosphere of the area.

Walking around, we could see many locals and foreigners enjoying themselves in the numerous bars.

Shinjuku Golden Gai
Address: 1 Chome-1-６ Kabukichō, Shinjuku-ku, Tōkyō-to 160-0021, Japan
Opening Hours: Daily 8pm to 5am (varies between shops)
Directions: 10 minute walk from Shinjuku Station

9. New York Bar / The Peak Lounge (Park Hyatt Hotel)

The Peak Lounge

Gorgeous views from Park Hyatt Tokyo

The Peak Lounge

New York Bar is a lively upscale bar located on the 52nd floor of the five-star Park Hyatt Hotel. It offers delicious drinks, bar bites, live music, and stunning views. Note that there is a cover charge of JPY 2500 at night. This bar is most famous for being the setting of many scenes in the 2003 movie “Lost in Translation”.

The Peak Lounge is another classy lounge bar located on the 41st floor of Park Hyatt Hotel. This bar is popular for both afternoon tea and evening drinks. There is a light snacks menu too.

After reading many positive online reviews of the New York Bar, we were quite eager to check it out. However, when we reached the bar, we were informed that there would be a cover charge of JPY 2500 per person. Besides this expensive fee, we also didn’t really like the loud live music and slightly noisy atmosphere of the bar.

Therefore, we decided to chill out at The Peak Lounge instead, which was much more peaceful and relaxing. This was the perfect place to relax at the end of the day. We ordered a cocktail and some light snacks, and got to enjoy the spectacular night views of Tokyo. There is no cover charge here.

The Peak Lounge
Address: 41st Floor of Park Hyatt Tokyo
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Directions: 15 minute walk from Shinjuku Station. We took a cab here from the station and it cost about USD 8.

10. Shinjuku Nichome

Dragon Men – popular gay club / bar

we saw many cross-dressers

Shinjuku Nichome is the LGBTQ+ district of Tokyo. You will find plenty of gay bars and clubs here.

Some of the popular clubs include Dragon Men, a friendly gay bar / club that is very popular with both locals and expats (males and females), Arty Farty, which offers cheap drinks and good music, and Cafe Lavanderia, an “anti-capitalist” themed casual bar that offers affordable drinks.

Note that some of the establishments are “men-only” or “women-only”, so make sure you check before trying to enter.

It was definitely an interesting experience to explore this colourful district! We spotted many locals and foreigners making their way into Dragon Men, where we could hear techno music blasting from inside. Unfortunately, clubbing is not really our thing.

We saw many masculine cross-dressers decked out in flamboyant outfits. We also sighted several men engaging in acts of affection openly, and groups of men proudly sauntering down the streets while holding hands.

We came across a adult toys shop as well, proudly lined with posters of half-naked men on its storefront.

These were definitely not common sights in conservative Japan!

Shinjuku Nichome
Opening Hours: 5pm till late (varies between establishments)
Directions: 10 minute walk from Shinjuku Station

11. ABC Mart Shinjuku Flagship Store

ABC Mart is a well-known Japanese footwear company with stores in Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.

We visited the famous ABC Mart Shinjuku Flagship Store, and were happy to see that many of the sneakers here were cheaper than other shoe shops in Tokyo.

And being the flagship store, the shop was huge. We found many trendy shoes from a wide variety of famous brands like Nike, Onitsuka Tiger, Vans, Adidas, New Balance, etc.

In the end I bought a pair of Nike Air Force 1 while the wife got a pair of Adidas Stan Smith.

You can be rest assured that the shoes at this shop are authentic. ABC Mart is the biggest shoes retail store in Japan and has a clean reputation.

The only minor downside was that the store staff had a rather nonchalant service attitude. But I guess that’s to be expected since we were buying the shoes at significantly discounted prices.

ABC Mart Shinjuku Flagship Store
Address: 3 Chome-18-2 Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-0022, Japan
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Directions: Two minute walk from Shinjuku Station

12. Don Quijote

Don Quijote is a chain discount store in Japan with over 160 branches. There are 3 branches in Singapore too, branded as Don Don Donki.

There are quite a few Don Quijote branches in Shinjuku, and they open late into the night (3am) or for 24 hours.

I wouldn’t classify this as an attraction in itself, but there are many branches and you can just pop in for a quick look if you’re passing by.

We walked around a Don Quijote Shinjuku branch for a short while and saw a wide variety of goods such as household items, poultry, groceries, sushi, etc.

And since it opens late into the night, it is also a good place to buy some snacks and food to eat in your hotel room.

Don Quijote
All Branches: www.donki.com/en

This article is part of our super awesome Ultimate Tokyo Travel Guide For First Timers. Everything you need to know about Tokyo is just a click away!