©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 125 Shinjuku & West Tokyo NISHI-SHINJUKU | SHINJUKU | OGIKUBŌ | KICHIJŌJI | MITAKA Neighbourhood Top Five 1 Exploring the crackling 2 Looking out over the 4 Immersing yourself in neon canyons of Shinjuku city from the observatory the imagination of anima- (p134). From the narrow atop the Tokyo Metropoli- tor Hayao Miyazaki at the lanes of seedy Kabukichō tan Government Offices Ghibli Museum (p128) in to the main boulevards, (p127). Mitaka. the light show here and 3 Laying on the lawn at 5 Getting cosy in the bars the sheer volume of dining, Shinjuku-gyoen (p127) of Golden Gai (p133), Shin- drinking and entertainment and gazing up at the juku’s literary and artistic options are something to skyscrapers. hang-out. behold. ri Wakamatsu-¦# ¦# Higashi- shinjuku kawada o-dō h i r KABUKICHŌ us KITA- k ō B d ‚ Seibu u - Nishi- SHINJUKU n i £# i k Shinjuku a a shinjuku S Kuya 13km ichō e 4# n Meij ¦# ng tā-dōri ba Ōm i e abuk h -k K G aid Ic ō 5# y Shinjuku- 1# o ¦# e nishiguchi n - ta-dōri #¦ d Ki Shinjuku ō 00 r 00 S SHINJUKU-KU i Ya G s 00 e SHINJUKU ukuni-dō 00 ij a ri Tochōmae id s Shinjuku £# Shinjuku-sanchōme o ¦# o #¦ n Shinjuku- -dōr SHINJUKU- Shinjuku R sanchōme Kō ¦# Chūō- d ō NICHŌME i NISHI- kaid kōen en 2# hū- SHINJUKU ōs Shinjuku-gyoenmae - K dōri ¦# ¦# Shi Shinjuku njuku- dōri ay's St e D M On ō aid e 3# i k i r - j dō ū i- i- sh d Shinjuku-gyoen am ō ō (Shinjuku Park) n K YOYOGI r Mi i ¦#£# Yoyogi Minami- £# Yoyogi shinjuku £# Hatsudai SHIBUYA-KU Shut o Expwy Sendagaya No 4 £# 0500 m #¦ e# 00.25miles Meiji- jingū Gyoen SENDAGAYA Kokuritsu-Kyōgijō For more detail of this area, see Map p286 A 126 Lonely Planet’s Top Tip Explore Shinjuku & West Tokyo Shinjuku is nothing if not Shinjuku is a whole city within the city. Its breadth and intimidating. Should you scale are simply awesome – over three million people a want to grab a quick bite day pass through the station alone. To the west of the to eat – without having to station is Nishi-Shinjuku (West Shinjuku), a planned brave the crowded streets – district of soaring skyscrapers. The Tokyo Metropolitan head to one of the food Government offices are here, along with many company courts on the top floors of headquarters; it’s full of black-suited office workers. the shopping centres inside East of the train station is one huge entertainment Shinjuku Station, such as district. Commuters who pass through Shinjuku on Lumine (ルミネ; Map p286; their way home stop off for something to eat and drink, www.lumine.ne.jp/shinjuku; and sometimes stay out until the trains start running Shinjuku Station, Shinjuku-ku; the next morning. Tipplers are spoiled for choice here: h11am-11pm; dJR Yamanote Shinjuku is that rare Tokyo neighbourhood that truly line to Shinjuku, south exit) or has something for everyone. It’s also home to the nation’s SHINJUKU & WE & SHINJUKU Mylord (ミロード; Map p286; largest gay district, Shinjuku-nichōme. www.shinjuku-mylord.com; The JR Chūō line runs west of Shinjuku, to commuter Shinjuku Station, Shinjuku-ku; towns that gradually grow more suburban the further h11am-11pm; dJR Yamanote out you go. Mitaka, a 20-minute train ride from Shinjuku, line to Shinjuku, south exit). is home to the magical Ghibli Museum. Neighbouring Both have more than a Kichijoji has been voted the best place to live in Tokyo for dozen reasonably priced 10 years running; with a fantastic park, Inokashira-kōen, S options with plastic food plenty of shops and a laid-back vibe, it’s easy to see why. T T models out the front. T OKYO Local Life Best Places 5 ¨ Parks Grassy Shinjuku-gyoen is a popular picnic to Eat spot; you can sometimes catch performers in ¨ Nagi (p132) Inokashira-kōen on weekends. Both parks are excellent ¨ Kozue (p132) for hanami (blossom viewing). ¨ Nakajima (p132) ¨ Alleyway eats Omoide-yokochō (p129) and Harmonica- yokochō (p129) are two atmospheric old markets where you For reviews, see p129 A can down yakitori (skewers of chicken, and other meats or vegetables) and beer like a local. ¨ Shopping Kōenji (p128) is known for its high Best Places 6 concentration of secondhand clothing stores; Nakano to Drink (p128) is paradise for collectors of old cameras, ¨ Zoetrope (p133) vintage action figures and more. ¨ Advocates Café (p133) ¨ Romance The sky-high New York Bar (p135) is ¨ New York Bar (p135) famous as a date spot, and also for marriage proposals. For reviews, see p133 A Getting There & Away Best Places ¨ 7 Train The JR Yamanote and Chūō-Sōbu lines stop at to Shop Shinjuku Station; Chūō-Sōbu continues west, stopping ¨ Isetan (p136) at Nakano, Kōenji, Kichijōji and Mitaka. The private ¨ Disk Union (p136) Keio New line stops at Hatsudai, west of Shinjuku. ¨ Subway ¨ RanKing The Marunouchi, Shinjuku and Ōedo lines RanQueen (p136) run through Shinjuku. The Marunouchi, Fukutoshin and Shinjuku lines stop at Shinjuku-sanchōme, For reviews, see p136 A convenient for the east side of Shinjuku. For Nishi- Shinjuku (West Shinjuku), Tochōmae Station on the Ōedo line is more convenient..