Kabukicho, Shinjuku

Shibuya246 · 29 March 2010 · 35 photos · 118,374 views · 33 comments

A little bit of cosplay material on sale here. What is your pick?

Shinjuku Station in the background, an extremely busy place on any day, and very easy to get lost if you dont know where you are going.

In front of Shinjuku Station, next to Studio Alta.

This fruit store has been here for years and still doing a good business. Great location at the top of the street just before you hit the station.

Lots of people heading down towards the main Kabukicho area.

A few Rilakkuma and friends camping out in the game centre.

The street looks pale in the contrast of the sky and office buildings.

Quite a few of the Shinjuku streets are off limits to cars. Some are too narrow, others designated as pedestrian only.

So many great side streets to discover in Kabukicho. You can always be surprised by what you will find down these streets.

Rilakkuma looks like he is doing some part time work here attracting people to the game centre.

The old Koma gekijo which is being pulled down and rebuilt.

Lots of development getting set to happen in this area. Koma gekijo, hotels and movie cinemas all closing down to make way for bigger things.

There are quite a few host clubs in this area and some magazines which highlight the best clubs to go to.

Fresh seafood here is supplied direct to the close by restaurants. At the end of the day the cleanup takes place.

A colorful baseball batting centre. I used to go here about 20 years ago for a hit.

There are lots of love hotels at the back end of kabukicho as well. Many are looking a bit old, but there are some new ones around also.

A mixture of old neon signs and a few new ones. One of the side streets in Shinjuku.

The signs all look so colorful, competing with each other to pull in the crowds.

So many side streets, all with different offerings. Kabukicho has quite a lot of adult service stores, and many can be found in this area.

Horumon restaurant. Just what you need for a night out in Shinjuku.

Back on the main road, Yasukuni dori, the traffic rolls past all the bright lights.

Time to relax and sit down for a coffee and crepe.

A nice looking crepe cafe on one of the streets.

Pasta-kan okonomiyaki, Ducky Duck and coffee. Which one to choose?

Kaiten sushi. One of the places I used to visit a lot when I first came to Japan.

Great kaiten sushi place. I have not been recently, but used to go here a lot many years ago. Still looks the same as when I first visited over 20 years ago.

Looks like a store that has been around for a while, serving sukiyaki and fugu.

Lots of people on the street whether it be morning or night, Shinjuku is always alive.

Up in front of the station area again looking back down towards Shinjuku 3-chome and beyond. The sky looks great. ^^

Studio Alta used to be THE meeting place in Shinjuku. Not sure where people are meeting these days. Anyone have some good Shinjuku meeting places?

The undercover area of Shinjuku station is one long corridor of platform stairs. Lots of people, signs and movement. Watch out in rush hour.

Some people coming, others going. Always plenty of action at Shinjuku Station.

A look out at Studio Alta from the platform while waiting for the Yamanote train back to Shibuya.

Visiting today · Tokyo, Kanto

Visiting Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo today

Checked October 2026 · next check January 2027

Added by Shibuya246, separate from the original post above. Facts are checked every quarter against the sources below. Check opening times and prices before you go.

What it is: Shinjuku's nightlife district of bars, restaurants, cinemas and neon-lit streets, just north-east of Shinjuku Station.
Getting there: About 9 minutes' walk from the Central East Exit of Shinjuku Station, or 3 minutes from Seibu-Shinjuku Station.
What to see: The life-size Godzilla head on the 8th-floor terrace of the Shinjuku Toho Building, and Tokyu Kabukicho Tower (opened 2023) with cinemas, theatres, a food hall and hotels.
Best time: From sunset onwards, when the signs light up.
Tip: Ignore street touts and choose bars yourself; police regularly warn about visitors being overcharged after following touts.

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Sources: Explore around Shinjuku | GO TOKYO · Godzilla Head | GO TOKYO · Tokyu Kabukicho Tower | GO TOKYO

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33 comments

Comments are closed. These are from readers when the post was first published.

lithiumangel 29 March 2010
Cute
lithiumangel 29 March 2010
Lots of great pictures in this Shinjuku photowalk :] It's quite on par with Shibuya for it's hustle and bustle of people around. Tough personally I didn't enjoy this area as much as Shibuya or Ikebukuro. Why ? Probably the "hey... HEY ! wanna see some Japanese ***'s ?" questions I get from the Nigerian people who are scouting to attract people into seedy places by just simply walking around Kabukicho or the square around Koma Gekijo (some nice 50 yen arcades here) It's even worse in Roppongi if I wanna drop by the Hard rock cafe there which is livelier than the one at Ueno JR station but the "Roppongi hassle" just makes me not go anymore when i'm in Tokyo. So I'm curious. As somebody who isn't native from Japan and also looks that way to the general public of Tokyo/Japan such as yourself; do you ever get these questions that I get ?
shibuya246 29 March 2010
After a while these scouts blend into the scenery just like telephone wires in photographs. I am usually ready to be approached and wave a "no thankyou" before being asked. It is the same with people collecting money in front of Shibuya station for earthquake victims, and people handing out flyers for contact lenses. They are everywhere, but if you give them a firm "no" straight away they wont keep following you. :)
Protocol Snow 29 March 2010
Tokyo and neon are a match made in heaven. Beautiful!
Tristan 29 March 2010
Awesome night time photos...makes me want to go back even more! (Next August is the plan.......can't wait!!!)
Neksus 29 March 2010
Moe-ish! Japan :)
Neksus 29 March 2010
Pictures clean as always. New experience to follow. It'll be 20 years of Shinjuku now? ^^ Thanks.
Exiv96 29 March 2010
A bit sad to the Sakuraya store's neon sign not glowing anymore. Will it be replaced by a Bic Camera ?
perdomot 30 March 2010
Beautiful pics of Shinjuku. It was video of this part of Tokyo in the movie Lost In Translation which finally got me on a plane to Tokyo 3 years ago. After walking around the west part of town, I went up into the Park Hyatt and sat at the bar where many of the movies scenes take place and watched the sun go down and the neon come up while drink a cold Suntory beer. Went into Kabukicho afterwards and was truly stunned by the place. The seedy parts including the sex joints are a minor thing compared to the rest of the place. I really envy you for being there for 20 years.
whipcracker 30 March 2010
Look like leftover Christmas lights were left up. by:whipcracker
whipcracker 30 March 2010
I'd go for Ducky Duck Coffee, if there was no Starbucjs around. Just to try it. by:whipcracker
whipcracker 30 March 2010
Rilakkuma, the Goodwill ambasadore, for whoever he advertises for. by:whipcracker
whipcracker 30 March 2010
Rilakkuma will bring you good luck in catching one. by:whipcracker
toto5182 30 March 2010
Love your night photos of Shinjuku (my favorite is still the area near the Disney Store)...would also be greatful to know what camera model you're using, I want to buy a really good night photo camera.
HELLOKITTYLIMITED 30 March 2010
I would have so much fun living there. Love the Hello Kitty shot. I'm all about that but there is so much more to japanese culture that I love.
lithiumangel 30 March 2010
You can view his camera equipment by going over the photo's and clicking on camera info :-) But to save you the trouble; it's a Nikon D700 :-] I purchased one last weekend after debating for the longest time between a D300s (for the video) or D700 (for the low-light performance) ; am not regretting the purchase.
shibuya246 30 March 2010
Thanks. Have been out today so didn't get chance to reply. For night shots the FX Sensor on the D700 is definitely good. I keep thinking I want to try some video, but still photography is my main interest. :) I normally use the faster lenses. As lithiumangel said, hover over the photo and click on the camera info. You can see settings and lenses here as well. Thanks.
shibuya246 30 March 2010
Not sure if BIC Camera will move in. They have a pretty good corner spot right now in front of the station. Will have to see what happens in Shibuya Center-gai though :)
shibuya246 30 March 2010
Thanks. I hadn't planned to go on this photo walk, just suddenly got on the train and then jumped out at Shinjuku. Haven't been around for years even though it is only 10 minutes from Shibuya. Definitely, I am more at home in Shibuya ;)
shibuya246 30 March 2010
Yes, many people enjoyed the scenes in Lost In Translation and decided to check out Japan. They should make more movies in Tokyo ;) Maybe next time I will head more into the Shinjuku business district to take some shots.
shibuya246 30 March 2010
nice pick :)
shibuya246 30 March 2010
very nice indeed :)
nick 7 April 2010
gorgeous photos.. the intensity of the colours is awesome. my own photos from kabukicho almost seem drab by comparison.
Ravenmist 23 April 2010
alcoholics rejoice they have abc department stores
AkuNoHana 26 April 2010
This post takes me right back to my stay in Shinjuku last summer. Mos Burger!
Ronal Hardy 8 July 2012
If you ever visit Tokyo you must check out Shinjuku and Shibuya.
Peter Andreassen 8 July 2012
Very Nice Pictures I Will return to Tokyo late October
Caroline Driver 29 November 2012
Very nice pics, give a real feel for what it must be like to be in Japan, at street level.
Manas R Kayal 13 September 2013
The Shinjuku is the place where all streetlight meets at a point.. Really love this place...
Berdetta Culver 28 November 2013
I see many Coca Cola signs.
Vincent 25 January 2019
Indeed a great post for a wonderful place. A dream destination for visitors.Thanks!!
Vincent 29 January 2019
Great city to live in. As a visitor I had a great time over there last year.
David Paul 10 May 2019
A Wonderful place to visit. Must go.

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33 comments