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Shinjuku

Discover Kabukicho, Golden Gai and Omoide Yokocho

About Shinjuku
Omoide Yokocho, also known as Memory Lane and (so I am told) Piss Alley (Photo: Stefanus Husin / JT)

Things to do in Shinjuku

Upcoming Shinjuku Events

Jingu Gaien Gingko Festival 2024

Jingu Gaien Gingko Festival 2024

Mid Nov - Early Dec

Fall is a wonderful time to visit Tokyo. The days are often sunny and temperatures are mild, making it ideal weather for viewing..

Free Entry
Tokyo Whisky Festival 2024

Tokyo Whisky Festival 2024

Early Dec

With almost 15 years of history, the annual Tokyo Whisky Festival is a large-scale event that showcases a variety of whiskies from..

9 ¥4,400
Tokyo Christmas Market 2024

Tokyo Christmas Market 2024

Nov 19th - Dec 25th

The Tokyo Christmas Market is one of the most extravagant ones in Japan.

8 ¥1,000

Shinjuku Top 10

Where to eat in Shinjuku

Shinjuku's Memory Lane

Shinjuku's Memory Lane

Andrew Ng

Previously known as Piss Alley, over 60 bars and restaurants are crammed along the side of Shinjuku JR station on the grounds used..

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Japanese Street Food

Japanese Street Food

Sleiman Azizi

Japanese street foods can be found in corner stores, local festivals and established food markets. Foods like grilled chicken skewers..

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Nagi Golden Gai

Nagi Golden Gai

Tom Roseveare

Nagi specialises in niboshi, or dried sardine, ramen, operating out of Shinjuku's Golden Gai district.

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Places to stay in Shinjuku

Hotel Gracery Shinjuku

Hotel Gracery Shinjuku

Featured

Hotel Gracery Shinjuku offers a full-service oasis in the center of the bustling city.

Latest Shinjuku Reports

Dug Jazz Cafe & Bar 6

Dug Jazz Cafe & Bar

Peter Lin

Dug is a classic retro jazz bar in Shinjuku with a cozy vibe and great ambiance. Spend the afternoon or evening listening quietly..

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About Shinjuku

Shinjuku station: the world's busiest station by far. A place where over 3 million people pass through every single day. A commuter hub where more than 10 different train lines converge. A modern day railway maze where you can easily get lost.

It is also an area where entertainment, shopping, nightlife, and a red-light district fuse into one, creating a complex and buzzing metropolitan city. Thousands of people visit Shinjuku everyday, either for their meals, meeting up with friends, the bars/nightclubs, or tourists passing through to do sightseeing and shopping.

At Nishi-Shinjuku to the west, skyscrapers dominate the skyline business district, which is where the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (TMG) lies. Don't forget Omoide Yokocho, which is also known as Memory Lane. There are lots of small places to eat at here selling yakitori, ramen, sushi and soba. The air is filled with an amazing grilled food smell. The shops are really small, and on average most of them can only seat around 10 people or so.

You will see lots of locals and tourist sitting and just waiting for their yakitori to be grilled and served. I’m sure after passing by these lanes, you will definitely want to try out the yakitori skewers including grilled meatballs, chicken skin etc.

Kabukicho is also home to a famous red-light district (of sorts). It is one of Japan's wildest areas, a place where various services are offered to meet every kind of taste. There are bars, nightclubs, restaurants and love hotels around as well! This place is filled with neon lights everywhere that will attract your eyes like a moth attracted to light.

You can also find the famous Robot Restaurant here as well - basically a bunch of scantily clad women dancing and operating robots. They have a huge size robot and it is controllable.

You will be amazed at what these world famous Shinjuku areas look like, a mixture of modernization with the old.

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