Known as the Times Square of Tokyo, Shinjuku is a major transit hub for Japan’s capital, servicing 3.6 million passengers every day. Containing the busiest train stations in the world has turned this district into an after-work entertainment and dining zone, a travelers can expect plenty of things to do in this must-visit section of the mega-city.

Gawk at the tall buildings in Nishi-Shinjuku – Tokyo’s largest skyscraper district has plenty of distinct buildings to explore. The Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower, for example, has 50 levels which contain 3 different schools: Tokyo Mode Gakuen (fashion), HAL Tokyo (IT and digital contents) and Shuto Iko (medical treatments and care). Looking like a six-sided fountain pen criss-crossed with masking tape, this innovative vertical campus holds 10,000 students and incorporates a 3-storey high atrium which acts as a schoolyard. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, on the other hand, houses the headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government aka City Hall and hosts observation decks on the top two floors which are free to the public. It held the title of Japan’s tallest building from 1991 to 2006 and continues to support 13,000 bureaucrats. Other notable buildings in Nishi-shinjuku are Shinjuku Sumitomo Building, Shinjuku Park Tower and Shinjuku I-town Square.

Embrace an alternative lifestyle in Shinjuku Ni-chome – the heart of Tokyo’s gay scene, the Golden Gai bar district is distinguished by being the only area in the city where the buildings are more than 10 years old. The shanty-style bars formerly served as brothels, and now acts as a gathering place for musicians, actors and directors, each possessing different themes.

Revel in maturity in Kabukicho – just 600 square meters large, this area is the red-light district of Tokyo, home to over 300 sex shops, almost 200 clubs, 80 hotels, and hundreds of bars and dining establishments. Named for the proposed Kabuki theater that never got built, Kabukicho has around 150,000 people passing through each day, and business peaks after 6pm and on weekends. This area is also notorious for the amount of criminal activities contained in it, mostly from syndicates, and for its exorbitant fees. Expect “naked karaoke”, clubs filled to the brim with slutty nurses, governesses, secretaries, and dominatrices, a reconstructed train filled with short-skirted schoolgirls, and even a large tank that feature naked girls who swim underwater.

Find solace from urban pressures in Shinjuku Gyoen – a beautiful garden park that blends 3 distinct styles:  French Formal, English landscape, and Japanese traditional. The gardens contain more than 20,000 trees, including 1,500 cherry trees, and are a favorite destination during hanami (cherry-blossom viewing). Notable structures include Kyu-Goro-Tei (Taiwan Pavillion), a unique Chinese Minnan style architecture built to commemorate the wedding of Emperor Hirohito, and Rakku-tei tea house, a place to enjoy afternoon tea in the surrounding beauty of the park.

Turn Korean in Okubo – known as Korean Town, most shops here provide Korean groceries, DVDs, and other services. Okubo surged in prominence as the Korean Wave hit Japan in 2003, and most Japanese with an interest in Korean culture get their desires sated in this area.

Shop, shop, shop in the mega-department stores – Isetan and Keio are two of the most popular department stores in Shinjuku, catering to 20-somethings which selections that are a little bit more expensive than the rest. Uniqlo, a department store chain in Japan, has also built its megastore in the district.

The best time to visit Shinjuku is at night. In contrast to the rather tame activities during the day, the district lights up with neon glare and blinking advertisments, inviting young professionals to party tilt the wee hours. Most parts of the district is within walking distance from Shinjuku station. Interested movie-goers may go watch Jackie Chan’s latest film Shinjuku Incident, where the district plays a major setting in the story.

Posted in Japan, Things to do

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