41 Things to Do in Shinjuku, Tokyo

Tourists are free to come and visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Guests can use the observatory on the 45th floor of the No.1 building, which overlooks Tokyo from a height of 202 meters. To the west you can see Tokyo Sky Tree, Tokyo Tower, and Mt. Fuji.

This complex facility is home to offices, a concert hall, an art gallery, theaters, restaurants, and shops, all next to Hatsudai Station, just one stop from Shinjuku Station. On the 53rd and 54th floors of the skyscraper Tokyo Opera City Building there is a restaurant, where you can enjoy a meal while taking in the beautiful scenery of Tokyo.

This high-rise complex is 235 meters tall in Nishi-Shinjuku, featuring 5 underground and 52 above-ground floors. It is a complex facility that comprises office space, hotel, shops, multipurpose hall and restaurants.

“inSpyre” is a spy attraction located in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho. Acting as an agent of the spy organization inSPYre, you must infiltrate the hideout of BLACK-MAX, an evil organization that has plans to conquer the world.

Apple Store Shinjuku is Japan’s first adopter of Apple’s newest store design. Located on the 1st floor of the Shinjuku Marui Main Building, just a few minutes’ walk from Shinjuku Station, the store is eye-catching with its 37-meter-long glass storefront that faces the main street. “Shinjuku” is projected on the enormous 6k display inside the store, making a real impression.

About a 3-minute walk from bustling Kabukicho in the heart of Shinjuku is a black 4-story building. When you go up to the 4th floor, it’s like stepping out of Shinjuku and into another world. This is a ninja house, made by a ninja-loving owner who wanted to show the world the appeal of ninjas. Here you can enjoy a variety of activities, including shuriken throwing, swordplay, and searching for the secrets of the ninja house.

Also called an entertainment hall, Suehiro-tei is an auditorium for traditional Japanese performances such as Rakugo and Manzai, as well as lectures. Sense the history in this wooden structure, where many paper lanterns highlight the names of performers.

The Fire Museum was opened on December 3rd of 1992 as a public relations and educational facility that helps visitors understand the firefighting that helps protect Tokyo and keep it secure. The museum’s official name is “Tokyo Fire Department Fire and Disaster Data Center.”

This Akagi Shrine is said to have been established in 1300, as a spiritual branch of the Akagi Shrine situated at the foothills of Mount Akagi in Gunma prefecture. The deities, “Iwatsutsuo-no-mikoto” who ward off evil, and “Akagihime-no-mikoto” who grants women’s wishes, are enshrined here.
Many women come to worship, as it is said to bring a fulfilled relationship, easy childbirth and matrimonial happiness.

The main branch “Shinjuku Isetan”, designated a historical landmark of Tokyo, is an old department store made up of several buildings, such as one mainly specializing in men’s items, and the Isetan Kaikan that mostly comprises restaurants and cafés.

This large commercial complex is made up of the long-standing department store Shinjuku Takashimaya as well as a variety of specialty stores.
The appeal of the complex comes from not just the high-quality items you can find at Shinjuku Takashimaya, but also the variety of products you’ll find at famous stores including Tokyu Hands, UNIQLO, and Kinokuniya Bookstore.

Sekaido Shinjuku Main Store is conveniently located a minute's walk away from Tokyo Metro’s Shinjuku-sanchome Station. This art / school supply store carries an abundance of globally-popular school supplies, art supplies and frames. Functional and high-quality goods are always set lower than regular prices.

This shopping complex offering direct access from JR Shinjuku Station boasts a variety of carefully selected fine items from around the world. The interior of the facilities was purposefully designed to create a spacious, relaxed atmosphere throughout.
Here you will find a variety of restaurants and shops offering anything from fashion, to cosmetics, to miscellaneous goods, and more.

Shinjuku Mylord is comprised of the main building of Mylord, as well as the uncovered “Mosaic Street” that connects the west and south exits of Shinjuku Station. The complex is home to over 120 specialty stores, including ones selling cosmetics, fashion, and gifts and miscellaneous goods, as well as restaurants and cafés. Its connection to the station makes it a convenient stop, great for both shopping and meeting up.

Standing along Shinjuku Dori, at the East Exit of Shinjuku Station, is Kinokuniya, a major bookseller. Since its establishment in 1927, it has been a mainstay of Shinjuku, supporting its development in shopping. Completed in 1964, the current Kinokuniya Building wash chosen as a building of historical value by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 2017.

Located right by JR Shinjuku Station East Exit, this is a fashion building with convenient access.
Many fashion, fashion accessories, interior goods, cosmetic shops are located between B2F and 6F. The shops are open late in the evening so it is easy to drop by on the way home.

Kabukicho is the entertainment district that sits just steps from the east exit of Shinjuku Station. It’s a major hub for izakaya pubs, amusement centers and nightlife spots to enjoy after hours. With neon signs lit up through the entire night, it’s earned the nickname of “the city that never sleeps”.

In Shinjuku’s Kabuki-cho, there is a row of retro-flavored bars dating from long ago. About 300 long, narrow, wooden structures line the street.
Full of little watering holes that can only have seats at the counter, the staff and other customers get very close. With this homelike atmosphere, you can enjoy drinking, even if you go there alone.

Walk just 3 minutes from the West Exit of Shinjuku Station to find yourself at a retro pub alley. This area is home to 80 different spots serving lip-smacking drinks and food. The stores are lined up with nothing but a mere partition between each one, making for a long stretch of old-school drinking fun.

Shin-Okubo Koreatown is Tokyo’s largest Koreatown, located near Shin-Okubo Station, which is just 1 stop from JR Shinjuku Station. It is the heart of Tokyo’s Korean culture, and it’s packed with visitors who are on top of fashion trends.
Plenty of shops line the area’s main street “Okubo-dori” near JR Shin-Okubo Station, “Syokuan-dori” to the south, and the alley “Ikemen-dori” that connects them both.

cafe AALIYA is a long-standing café located diagonally across from “Isetan” on the corner of the Shinjuku 3-Chome intersection, and it is famous for its French toast. The colorful entrance leading to the stairs down to the basement, where the café is located, is the what you should look out for. The café’s interior is relaxing, with a calm and casual atmosphere.

This themed restaurant featuring a motif of “Alice in Wonderland” is located on the 2nd basement floor of a building along Yasukuni-dori. The moment you step off the elevator, a world like stepping into a picture book spreads out before you. Once you’ve entered, you can get an Alice or rabbit-themed hairband, and once you’ve put it on you can join the ranks of Wonderland.

MOVE CAFÉ is a popular café located near the Shinjuku 5-chome intersection, where Yasukuni-dori and Meiji-dori meet. While it is a café, it also features healthy dishes and a variety of alcoholic beverages, including craft beers. Furthermore, the café’s sweets, carefully crafted by a pastry chef, and other carefully baked treats are all cute items you can’t overlook.

Shinjuku Gyoen once stood as an estate of the Naito family, the hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa family in the Edo period before being established as an imperial garden in 1906. Today it remains open to the general public. Inside you’ll find the sprawling 58.3ha grounds keep three distinct gardens: a Japanese traditional garden, a formal garden, and a landscape garden, acclaimed as one of the best of modern day gardens. There’s even a greenhouse that keeps a collection of rare plants from Japan and around the world. In spring, you’ll find about 900 cherry blossoms of approx. 70 different varieties , and in the fall, the vibrant colors of autumn leaves await.

Shinjuku Central Park sits at the footsteps of the business district skyscrapers; boasted as the largest park owned by Shinjuku city government.
This green urban oasis is home to birds, insects and other natural creatures.
Inside you can find the iconic, expansive fountain of Shinjuku Niagara Falls, the wide open green or even special events on holidays.

Meiji Jingu Gaien, the outer park of Meiji Shrine, was established in 1926. With Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery in its center, this park has all kinds of athletic facilities, including a baseball stadium. Enjoy every season to your heart’s content here.

Toyama park is home to Hakone Yama, an elevated mound known as the highest summit inside the Yamanote Line circle, and the two surrounding areas split by Meiji Dori into the Hakoneyama and Okubo grounds.
While the summit at Hakoneyama stands at a mere 44.6 meters tall, it is still the tallest elevation within the Yamanote Line circle, offering a wide view of the Shinjuku skyline.

From long ago, the shrine located here has held an important Shinto deity for all of Shinjuku. It exists quietly among the shopping malls and eateries lining Shinjuku's downtown streets.
The Shaden (Main Shrine) was once burned down, so in order to reconstruct it, a theater was opened on the shrine grounds, where performances of plays, dances and spectacles gained popularity.

Kagurazaka, in Shinjuku, Tokyo, first got its start as a bustling geisha district. Visitors here will find a large shopping street that’s home to trendy shops and cafes, but just a few steps from the main drag sits a few cozy, veteran Japanese eateries, chic cobblestone streets and black, wood-latticed fences.

This 350-meter-long boardwalk extends from the south exit of Shinjuku Station toward Yoyogi. Along the lush path you’ll find restaurants, cafés, and stores selling clothing and miscellaneous goods, so you can have a great time even just taking a stroll.

This museum is filled with the works of the world-famous artist, Yayoi Kusama.
Enter Kusama’s world through polka-dotted glass doors in this urban, refined white 5-story building.
It is a valuable museum where Yayoi Kusama’s works can be appreciated anytime in Tokyo. The reception desk and museum shop are on the 1st floor, the 2nd and 3rd floors hold exhibition galleries, and the 4th floor has installations. The 5th floor features a rooftop gallery with a browsing space where you can peruse related reading material.

Located in the middle of Meijijiugu gaien, Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery is an art museum displaying pictures depicting the achievements of Japanese Emperor Meiji.
Depicted in chronological order, the first 40 murals of the Wall Art Collection are done in Nihonga, a Japanese style of painting popular at the time Emperor Meiji lived (1868-1912). The last 40 paintings are done in a Western style. These works of excellence by leading artists are also regarded as precious historical pictorial records.

A commemorative museum of author Fumiko Hayashi, best known for her literary works, "Horoki (Vagabond's Song)" and "Ukigumo (Floating Clouds)".
The building is where Fumiko Hayashi lived for about ten years from 1941 until she died. When building the house, she did architectural research, and even visited Kyoto with an architect. They toured around studying traditional country homes, and Fumiko’s attention to detail can be seen all around the house.

Located in the skyscraper district of Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku i-LAND is an area ripe with urban functionality, including offices, shops, residential areas, schools, and plazas, all centered around the 44-story skyscraper “Shinjuku i-LAND Tower.”
The area is dotted with a number of public artworks, all following the theme of “human love and the future.” A particularly famous piece is the “LOVE” sculpture at the front entrance, an iconic symbol of Shinjuku i-LAND.

The Sompo Japan Museum of Art is an art landmark in Shinjuku, and it is home to diverse arts and culture. The museum hosts a wide variety of exhibitions.
The main focuses among its boasted collection of about 630 works are Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” and works by Western-style painter Seiji Togo. A print of Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” on porcelain tile is on display by the museum’s entrance, which catches the eye of passerby.

This movie theater is located in Kabukicho, where a life-size Godzilla head is the talk of the town. The scale of Godzilla's appearance in Shinjuku, as if he were attacking a huge building such as a movie theater, is so powerful that everyone is dazzled by it.

Park Hyatt Tokyo, located between the 39th and 52nd floor of the skyscraper “Shinjuku Park Tower” with an iconic triangular roof top, is fairly close to the Shinjuku Station and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.
The views from the 177 rooms including 23 suites, all situated above the 42nd floor, are outstanding! The rooms are a spacious 45～290㎡, ensuring comfort and functionality. The elegantly furnished interior offers a serene atmosphere for the stay.

This convenient high-rise hotel is located close to the station, just a 3-minute walk from the south exit of Shinjuku Station. The hotel is inside of the Odakyu Southern Tower, a composite skyscraper with 4 basement floors and 36 above-ground floors that contains offices, shops, cafés, and more. The hotel’s lobby is located on the 20th floor, 100 meters above the ground.

RIHGA Royal Hotel Tokyo is situated in Waseda, a land of culture and tradition, adjacent to Okuma Garden offering beautiful views of season's landscapes.
It also offers authentic Chinese cuisine, seasonal Japanese cuisine, and a wide variety of restaurants and bars.

Kadoya Hotel is a long-standing hotel, operating in Nishi-Shinjuku for over half a century. Its location is outstanding, located just about 3 minutes on foot from the west exit of JR Shinjuku Station, the Toei Shinjuku Line’s Shinjuku Station, and the Toei Oedo Line’s Tochomae Station.

This capsule hotel is located about a 4-minute walk from the east exit of JR Shinjuku Station and from Seibu Shinjuku Station.
It costs between 2,000 and 3,500 yen per night, a very reasonable price.
Any luggage you have when you check in can be stored in the large lockers provided. There are also amenities stored in the lockers, including in-facility clothes, towels, and a toothbrush.

Koenji is known as the “Thrift Town”. It’s a classy location where “you always meet something interesting” and it is popular to those who enjoy new influences. Near the station you’ll find a shopping street with numerous thrift stores and variety stores. The town is also famous for having great curry restaurants.

There’s a beautiful row of zelkova trees that stretch north-south of the station of Asagaya. The town has a quiet and retro atmosphere with various cafes and shops. At the northern exit of the station you’ll find a drinking district that’s perfectly suited for barhopping.

Ogikubo used to be one of the top locations for holiday homes alongside Kamakura, and there are still some outstanding villas that are owned by celebrities. It’s also known as a ramen hotspot with many of the famous ramen restaurants in Japan. It’s a must go area for people who enjoy ramen!

Nishi-ogikubo is famous for its antique shops and variety stores with items that will tickle your fancy. Nishi-ogikubo also has shopping streets near its station, and if you head north you’ll find the nature-filled Zenpukuji park surrounding Zenpukuji pond.