The back story
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Neighbourhood guide
Shinjuku: towers, gardens and Golden Gai
The skyscrapers of the west side, the Park Hyatt reopened, Shinjuku Gyoen’s lawns, Golden Gai’s tiny bars and the stone lanes of Kagurazaka.
Neighbourhood guide · Tokyo
Shinjuku, east and west
The towers of Nishi-Shinjuku and the Park Hyatt, Shinjuku Gyoen, Golden Gai and Omoide Yokochō, and the lanes of Kagurazaka.
What's onThis week in Tokyo
What to see and do
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The city from Shinjuku
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observatories
Two observatories at the top of the twin-towered city hall in Nishi-Shinjuku, with views towards Mount Fuji on clear days.
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Opera, ballet and drama
New National Theatre, Tokyo
Japan’s national stage for opera, ballet, contemporary dance and drama, by Hatsudai station.
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The Takemitsu hall
Tokyo Opera City
A concert hall with a soaring timber ceiling, and an art gallery, in the tower at Hatsudai.
3-20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-1403Explore View on map
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Three gardens in one
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
A great garden of lawns and old trees in three styles, Japanese, English and French, and one of the city’s loveliest places for cherry blossom.
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On foot
Kagurazaka’s stone lanes
A hill of stone-paved alleys, old geisha houses and some of the city’s finest restaurants.
Where to eat
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Three MICHELIN Stars
Kagurazaka Ishikawa
Japanese cooking in Kagurazaka. Three MICHELIN Stars in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide.
5-37 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0825Explore View on map
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Two MICHELIN Stars
Kohaku
Japanese cooking in Kagurazaka. Two MICHELIN Stars in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide.
3-5-5 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0825Explore View on map
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One MICHELIN Star
Takumi Tatsuhiro
Edomae sushi at the counter in Shinjuku. One MICHELIN Star in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide.
1-11-7 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022Explore View on map
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One MICHELIN Star
Ubuka
Crab, in season in Yotsuya. One MICHELIN Star in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide.
2-14 Arakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0007Explore View on map
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One MICHELIN Star
Sushi Oya
Edomae sushi at the counter in Kagurazaka. One MICHELIN Star in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide.
3F, 3-6 Fukuromachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0828Explore View on map
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Bib Gourmand
Kyorakutei
Buckwheat soba in Kagurazaka. A Bib Gourmand in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide: good quality, good value cooking.
3-6 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0825Explore View on map
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Bib Gourmand
RAMEN MATSUI
Ramen in Yotsuya. A Bib Gourmand in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide: good quality, good value cooking.
4-25-10 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0004Explore View on map
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Bib Gourmand
Torishige
Pork, Japanese style in Yoyogi. A Bib Gourmand in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide: good quality, good value cooking.
2-6-5 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0053Explore View on map
Bars
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The bar in the sky
New York Bar
The Park Hyatt’s bar on the 52nd floor, with live music in the evening and Shinjuku spread out below: the bar of Lost in Translation, open again since the hotel’s reopening.
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A village of tiny bars
Golden Gai
Narrow lanes of tiny bars, each seating a handful, in low wooden buildings by the Hanazono Shrine: Tokyo’s most famous little drinking quarter.
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Memory Lane
Omoide Yokochō
A narrow alley of yakitori counters by Shinjuku station’s west exit, smoky, cramped and atmospheric after dark.
Shopping
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Fashion, floor by floor
Isetan Shinjuku
The fashion flagship of Tokyo’s department stores, in Shinjuku, with a celebrated food hall.
Where to stay
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Reopened, high above Shinjuku
Park Hyatt Tokyo
The top floors of Shinjuku Park Tower, reopened on 9 December 2025 after a 19-month renovation, with the New York Bar at the summit.
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Near the park
Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo
A Kimpton in Nishi-Shinjuku, a short walk from Shinjuku Central Park and the towers.
Share your Shinjuku tips
Found a good bar in Golden Gai or a quiet corner of Shinjuku Gyoen? Share it here.
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