Shinjuku

Shinjuku is a popular spot to visit and stay in Tokyo. It boasts one of the busiest stations in the world! A trip to Japan is not complete without being lost at least once in Shinjuku station!

Shinjuku is popular for its night life, electronics district, government towers that provide a great view of the city and of course the fire breathing Godzilla!

Shinjuku Station

Shinjuku is a convenient place to stay in Tokyo. Shinjuku station is actually 5 stations in one – JR East, Odakyu Electric railway, Keio Corporation, Tokyo Metro and Toei subway. To change from one train company to the other, you need to exit that area of the station and then re-enter with a ticket for the next company. No wonder its confusing!

Shinjuku enables access to many areas to the west of Tokyo such as Ghibli Museum, Mount Takao and Hakone. The N’ex is an express train to Narita airport on the JR lines. Shinjuku is on the JR Yamanote line (or green circle) and so makes it easy to access many of the top spots around Tokyo such as Yoyogi, Harajuku, Shibuya and Ueno.

To help you in and around the station this Shinjuku station guide is fantastic.

Shinjuku Gyoen

Shinjuku Gyoen is a beautiful oasis in the middle of Shinjuku. There are ponds, tea houses and lots of open spaces for the kids. Entry is ¥500 for adults and ¥250 for kids. This is a popular place to view the cherry blossoms, for more about these spectacular gardens see our full post here.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Towers

Government towers are twin towers that each have a public observation deck at 202 meters giving a great view of the city and it’s free! The towers are a short walk from Shinjuku station, or Tocho-mae station on the Oedo Subway line is right under the building.

Open from 9:30am to 11pm daily, this is a great way to see Tokyo. The nearby Central Park is also free and a great spot for a picnic. If you are on a budget then the government towers and central park is a great free day out!

Shopping

Shinjuku is known for its electronics shops including Bic Camera and Yodobashi Camera. These are discount electronics stores and you will find two of each around Shinjuku station.

There are a number of impressive department stores including, Isetan, Takashimaya, Keio, Odakyu, Lumine and Mylord. Each of these stores have multiple floors, up to 16, often with amazing food stores in the basement and floors of restaurants. Some are within the station complex and the others are located only a short walk from the station. There are a number of great shopping guides such as JW weekly and Japan Guide.

Godzilla

Godzilla can be seen from the streets of Shinjuku as he clings to buildings and peers over the city below. Godzilla or Gojira, as he is known locally, is located in the Kabukicho district, here.

To get up close and personal to Godzilla you will need to visit Cafe Terrace Bonjour on the 8th floor of the complex. By purchasing a drink or snack you will be able to enter the patio area for a close up look at Godzilla. But that’s not all, every so often, the theme song plays and Godzilla roars with accompanying lights and smoke!

Robot Restaurant

The Robot Restaurant (temporarily closed due to COVID19) is a quintessentially Japanese quirky, loud, colourful robot and light show for no particular reason! The word restaurant in the name is a bit misleading. You can purchase food or drinks for an additional fee, however, reviews of the menu have not been overly positive so you may prefer to find somewhere else in Shinjuku to eat.

The Robot restaurant is located in the Kabukicho red light district. So can I take my kids? The show content is generally considered ok for kids and there is no age restriction on entry. The day time shows are more appropriate for children as the patrons (mostly tourists) are less intoxicated. However, the show is loud, flashy and intense. The ‘stage’ is essentially a narrow strip with three rows of seats either side, so no matter where you sit you will be close to the action. For younger kids, it might be a little overwhelming. It just depends if your kids don’t mind loud sounds, flashing lights and having no idea what is happening!

There are many sites where you can purchase tickets or you can purchase through the official website. If you’re unsure if it’s appropriate for your family, there are a number of videos on their website or check out this review.

Shinjuku at night

Shinjuku is known for its night life with neon lights, clubs, bars and restaurants.

There are a number of amazing restaurants in Shinjuku. A quick search will find lots of lists of things to do and amazing restaurants (check out this one from Culture Trip). If you are a fan of Lost in Translation then a trip to The Park Hyatt and the New York Bar on the 52nd floor is a must for a cocktail and some Jazz! Fancy a Michelin star resturant? If you don’t have a huge budget (especially by the time you pay for the kids as well!), don’t worry! In Shinjuku you can dine at michelin star Nakajima with their famous sardine lunch meals as low as ¥1000, although be aware, with prices like this you will need to queue and at dinner times the prices rise to ¥12000!

The Kabukicho district is the entertainment and red light district with a number of host and hostesses clubs and love hotels. It’s Japan so it’s still a safe area to visit but may not be the most appropriate with kids, particularly at night, and perhaps not the best area to stay with the family.

Shinjuku Golden Gai is an alley with lots of small izakaya (informal Japanese bar). This is a great place to visit when you don’t have the kids in tow. Izakaya are often very small places, sometimes with only half a dozen seats or standing room only and taking up all the room with your family of five is not usually welcomed.

Shinjuku is a fantastic place to visit for shopping, delicious food, beautiful green spaces and it’s a convenient place to stay when visiting Tokyo. Have fun!

More Information

Japan Guide on Shinjuku
Japan Travel page on Shinjuku
Shinjuku guide for what’s on, shopping and discount codes
Official Robot Restaurant website
Shinjuku station guide
Government towers official page