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.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsShinjuku is two cities around one enormous station: the towers of Nishi-Shinjuku to the west, with the Park Hyatt and the observatories of the Metropolitan Government Building; and to the east the department stores, Shinjuku Gyoen and, after dark, Golden Gai and Omoide Yokochō. A short ride east, Kagurazaka is a hill of quiet lanes and serious restaurants.
Sights
Shinjuku Gyoen, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observatories, the New National Theatre and Tokyo Opera City.
Eating and drinking
Kagurazaka Ishikawa (Three MICHELIN Stars, 2026) and Kohaku (Two Stars) in Kagurazaka; the New York Bar, Golden Gai and Omoide Yokochō.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan · CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia CommonsUse the station’s exits as landmarks: west for the towers, east for the shops and Golden Gai.
Staying
The Park Hyatt Tokyo and Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo.
Our advice: have a drink in the New York Bar for the view, then a yakitori skewer in Omoide Yokochō for the atmosphere.
Why it's on our list
- Sights
- Eating and drinking
- Staying
What’s nearby
Distances from Shinjuku: towers, gardens and Golden Gai are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 12 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest metro stations
- ShinjukuM300 m4 min walk
- Shinjuku-nishiguchiE400 m5 min walk
- Shinjuku-sanchomeFMS400 m5 min walk
Key sights
- Meiji Jingū2.1 kmWalk 27 minCycle 11 minCar or taxi 13 min
- The Shibuya crossing3.9 kmCycle 20 minCar or taxi 19 min
- The palace gardens4.9 kmCycle 25 minCar or taxi 22 min
- Tokyo Tower5.5 kmCycle 27 minCar or taxi 24 min
- Sensō-ji8.6 kmCycle 43 minCar or taxi 35 min
- Tokyo Skytree9.8 kmCar or taxi 39 min
- Haneda Airport18 kmCar or taxi 64 min
Main railway stations
- Shinjuku Station550 mWalk 7 minCycle 3 minCar or taxi 8 min
- Shibuya Station3.7 kmCycle 18 minCar or taxi 18 min
- Tokyo Station5.7 kmCycle 29 minCar or taxi 25 min
- Ueno Station6.8 kmCycle 34 minCar or taxi 29 min
- Shinagawa Station7.9 kmCycle 40 minCar or taxi 32 min
Location
The map comes from Google Maps, which sets its own cookies once it loads.
More in depth
The back storyTokyo at the table: eleven three-star dining rooms, and a bowl of sobaMore MICHELIN stars than any other city, sushi counters of eight seats, tempura fried in front of you, kaiseki, French and Chinese of the highest order, and noodle shops with a Bib Gourmand: how to eat in Tokyo.
The back storyTokyo CuisineEdomae sushi piece by piece, tempura straight from the pan, cold soba on bamboo, glazed eel, yakitori over charcoal, shoyu ramen and the wagashi of the tea ceremony: the dishes of Tokyo, and where to taste them.
The back storyWhere Tokyo sleeps: towers above the palace, ryokan and the new hillsAman and HOSHINOYA in Ōtemachi, the Palace Hotel on the moat, The Peninsula and the Imperial in Hibiya, the Bvlgari above Tokyo Station, Janu at Azabudai Hills and the reopened Park Hyatt in Shinjuku: where to stay, and why the address matters.