Top 10 Fantastic Things To Do In Shinjuku
Shinjuku, a vibrant district in Tokyo, is the biggest entertainment destination in Asia with a variety of activities to experience. Coming here, you will really enjoy true Tokyo and you will need to spend days exploring this fantastic neighbourhood. So, what can you do when you go to visit Shinjuku? In this blog, you will be suggested many things to do in Shinjuku. Now, let’s check them out!
Top 10 Things To Do In Shinjuku
1. Picnic In Shinjuku Gyoen
Featuring a large green space, different styles of garden and a beautiful lake, Shinjuku Gyoen is a perfect place for picnic. It’s always interesting to go on a picnic with your family or friends to Shinjuku Gyoen. Despite being located right in the heart of vibrant Shinjuku, the park is very quiet and peaceful. There is nothing more relaxing than strolling around the gardens here and listening to its silence.
Besides, Shinjuku Gyoen is also a wonderful place for cherry blossom lovers. The best occasion to enjoy the beauty of cherry blossom there is during the cherry blossom festival. Although Shinjuku Gyoen gets busier with locals and tourists during the hanami period, it somehow remains tranquil. This is absolutely amazing!
Featuring a large green space, Shinjuku Gyoen is a perfect picnic destination
The entry costs for adults and children are ¥500 and ¥250 respectively and you can enter the park free of charge on Greenery Day (May 4). Shinjuku Gyoen is open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on almost all days in a week, except for Mondays. The only time the park opens on Modays is when there is a national holiday. Then, it closes instead on Tuesday.
2. Pay A Free Visit To Yotsuya Fire Museum
Firstly, to reach Yotsuya Fire Museum you go to Yotsuya Sanchome Station and head out of Exit 2. Then, you walk into the Yotsuya Museum, which is completely free. All you need to do is taking a visitor pass at the reception and returning it when you finish exploring the museum. It is better to let the elevator take you to the top of the museum and at the end of the journey you can walk down on your own.
Yotsuya Fire Museum is quite great for a free museum. If you are finding things to do in Shinjuku for your children when you visit here, the museum definitely caters for them. The helicopter on the roof, which kids can sit on, is the main attraction of Yotsuya Fire Museum. Moreover, the museum can bring a lot more fun for your children with an anime corner where they can watch several cartoons related to fire safety. Besides, firefighting equipment and uniforms from ancient eras are also displayed in the museum, which will make the kids interested.
Kids will definitely feel excited to sit on the helicopter, which is the main attraction of Yotsuya Fire Museum
The museum is open from 9:30 am to 5 pm and it is also available to get into from Tuesday to Sunday.
3. Pose With The Big Buddha At Taisoji Temple
From Yotsuya Fire Museum, turn right and go straight to central Shinjuku. You can choose to take the subway one stop to Shinjuku-Gyoemmae Station if you feel lazy to walk. When you pass Shinjuku-Gyoemmae Station and a Family Mart on your right, take a right down a small street and you will see Taisoji Temple in front of you.
Arriving here, the Big Buddha on temple grounds will immediately catch your attention as it is the main attraction of the temple. You can pose in any way you want to have great photos with this attraction.
Visiting Taisoji Temple, you cannot miss posing with the Big Buddha
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In addition, you can have an opportunity to see traditional dancing when Obon festival takes place in Taisoji.
4. See The TOTO Showroom
Located in the second building past the Sunroute Plaza Hotel, on the seventh and eighth floor, Toto Showroom is a better and cleaner place than anywhere else. Visiting the showroom, you will get surprised by not only hi-tech Japanese toilets but also beautiful baths and eco-friendly inventions that help to save water.
Toto Showroom will blow your mind with not only hi-tech toilets but also beautiful baths and eco-friendly inventions
Additionally, there is free tea and coffee on each floor of the showroom. You can choose between hot and cold although the sign is in Japanese. If you take the elevator down to the second floor, you will see a walkway which leads to Takashimaya Square. The square is a great point for train enthusiasts to see train tracks.
One more information about the Toto Showroom is that it opens from 10 am to 5 pm and closes on Wednesdays.
5. Explore Golden Gai And Kabukicho
Golden Gai is an epic place for beer and food lovers as it houses more than 200 bars. These bars are very different from the ordinary ones because they are small and have only a few seats. Sometimes you can find the owners may not allow you to get in their bars while there are still empty seats. Do you know why? It’s because they need to reserve the seats for the regulars. This thing is normal in Golden Gai, so don’t take it to heart. Besides, Golden Gai also has great narrow, winding alleys with Japanese taverns that are incredibly interesting and exciting. It is an unique way to experience a real Tokyo nightlife.
More interestingly, you cannot miss a stroll through the red light district Kabukicho that is next to Golden Gai. During daytime, the district is a great entertainment place for families. However, when the night falls down, it becomes an only-adult destination with host or hostess bars and love hotels. You will another perspective of Shinjuku at night when you go to Kabukicho.
Golden Gai and Kabukicho are always the best places in Shinjuku for you to experience an authentic Tokyo nightlife,
6. Chill In Shinjuku Central Park
What are other things to do in Shinjuku when you pay a visit to this place? Well, that is chilling in Shinjuku Central Park.
Beside Shinjuku Gyoen, the Central Park is another green corner in the middle of one of Tokyo’s busiest districts. There are some waterfalls, a shrine and cherry blossom trees in the park. Therefore, during the sakura season, you can enjoy picnics under the trees.
What’s more, Shinjuku Central Park also provides nice views of the skyscrapers and it is a hot spot for those who want to practise skating, BMX tricks or other activities that require a large space.
Beside enjoying the peace at Shinjuku Central Park, you can get nice views of the skyscrapers
7. Visit Tokyo Metropolitan Building
One of the best things to do in Shinjuku is going to visit Tokyo Metropolitan Building. Your trip to Japan will not be complete without seeing Tokyo – an incredible city from above.
Viewed from a high position, Tokyo seems to stretch endlessly without any border. All you can see is an ocean of beautifully arranged and organized buildings. Surpringly, you don’t have to pay any fee to get into the building, climb to the observation deck at the top and enjoy the splendour of the city.
Tokyo is in its best during night time, so let’s go to Tokyo Metropolitan Building after it gets dark to have a breathtaking view of the colorful city.
From the observation deck of Tokyo Metropolitan Building, you’ll have a breathtaking view of the colorful city in all its splendour
8. Get A Free Massage and Shop At BicQlo
BicQlo, a collaboration between the fashion brand company Uniqlo and the home electronics retailer Bic Camera, has become the “lastest hot spot in Shinjuku” with the lastest technology and fashionable clothes.
After walking for a long distance to explore Shinjuku, why not head to the east and try out the massage chairs on display?
Next, you can go shopping right here at BicQlo with your family. All kinds of clothes for men, women, children and even infants are available. Let’s come here and shop till the end!
Not only can you get a free massage, but you can also buy many kinds of clothes for your family in BicQlo
9. Enjoy a Nightcap In Nichome
After a long day of exploration, you may want to find a cheap place to relax and Shinjuku Nichome will meet your expectations. Despite being known as Tokyo’s gay district, Nichome is not a really weird place. It’s very famous for good food, drinks and atmosphere.
You want to find a cheap place to relax after a long day of exploration? Shinjuku Nichome is really the one you are looking for
There is a restaurant called Rainbow Burritos here. You may not expect to eat Mexican food in Japan, but these burritos are worth trying with reasonable prices. The restaurant is very small dimly lit room with only 10 seats. If you come here early, you can usually grab a seat.
In addition, Cafe Lavanderia in Nichome also offers drinks at around 600 yen, which is not expensive and there’s good music to dance here, too.
10. Experience Shinjuku Capsule Hotel
Perhaps, your list of things to do in Shinjuku can finish with a night in Shinjuku Capsule Hotel, which will give you unique experience. It is also perfect for budget travellers because it is cheap, reliable and very clean.
Being cheap, extremely clean, and reliable, Shinjuku Capsule Hotel will definitely give you a good night sleep
You may imagine the capsule rooms to be claustrophobic, but in reality they are spacious and equipped with all amenities that can give you a good night sleep.
Find out more interesting things to do in Shinjuku in the video below:
Conclusion
With so many things to do in Shinjuku mentioned above, it is easy to understand why so many travellers want to include this vibrant district in their Tokyo itinerary. Hopefully, this blog has let you know what to do in Shinjuku when you visit this place.
