Shinjuku

The streets of Shinjuku are full of outdoor advertising, lights and signs. A large 3D cat on a curved screen displays amusing scenes almost all day.

An extravagant bar with leopard-print wallpaper and an owner who is an actor.

A punk bar that plays music from the 1980s.

The Godzilla head decorates the Shinjuku Toho cinema building. Every hour from 12:00 to 20:00 Godzilla roars, emits smoke, and also lights up in the dark. You can get a closer look by going up to the lobby of the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku.

A themed attraction dedicated to the world of Harry Potter and the behind-the-scenes making of the film franchise, opened in 2023. It is the world's largest indoor Harry Potter attraction. Visitors can walk through film-familiar locations: Platform 9 3/4, Diagon Alley, the Great Hall of Hogwarts, faculty corridors and common rooms, the Forbidden Forest and the Ministry of Magic. Props, costumes and even a huge, highly detailed model of the school are on display. Potter fans will find it especially interesting. Opening hours: 08:30–19:00 on weekdays; 08:30–22:00 on weekends. One-day ticket price: from 6500 yen.

You can escape the city in Shinjuku Gyoen; anime fans may know it as the setting of The Garden of Words. Admission is 500 yen. In the huge garden people lie on the lawns, sip cold drinks and look at skyscrapers — it’s somewhat reminiscent of New York’s Central Park. Particularly striking is the NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building spire against the Japanese ponds; this view also appears frequently in anime.

The name of the quarter in Japanese means “Alley of Memory”, but its old unofficial name was “Piss Alley”. There have always been many bars here, but not enough public toilets, so visitors used to relieve themselves in the street. Those times are long gone, and a 1999 fire destroyed much of the old buildings. Unlike Golden Gai, Omoide Yokocho focuses not on cocktails but on yakitori (grilled meat skewers) and nikomi (beef-tendon stew), typically washed down with beer.

Good news for anyone missing IKEA — there’s one in Shinjuku, and it’s located right in a skyscraper. In the three-story store you can browse nostalgic home goods, eat a hot dog and have ice cream.