Shinjuku, Tokyo

If you are in the Shinjuku area, you MUST visit Shinjuku Gyoen Park. It is beautiful, especially when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. It is very relaxing. Take a book and spend the entire day. 200yen entrance fee.

Shonben means "p*ss" in Japanese. I don't know how this little alley jammed with bunch of little Izakayas (Japanese style pub) and restaurants is called like so. Perhaps some drunken businessmen do their business on this alley. There is no doubt to say the whole alley looks cluttered and grim and no where near as frilled or polished but there is something in the air that I love so much here not to mention the food.

People who come here is another great thing about this alley. Once you get to know the people who gather here, you could hear the wickedest stories like nowhere else.

If you are totally not into the idea of eating anything from this alley, it is worth a peek since this alley seems it has stopped ticking the time away…since 1950.

Directions to Shonben Yokocho:

Go out from the east exit towards Studio ALTA. Turn left at the intersection. You will see the alley sort of under the railroad trucks.

Under the high skyscrapers in Shinjuku we found this tiny fleamarket. Locals sold everything from shoes and clothes to books and statues.
The fleamarket was one level below streetlevel in front of the Mitsui building.
We visited on a saturday.

SHINJUKU: This is where major offices & many skyscrapers are situated. For first-timers to Tokyo this can be an interesting but confusing place to be. As for me, even though I know how to read Japanese (took Japanese for Humanities in the University for a full year course) I still took some time to get around. Anyway, what interested me here is the KINOKUNIYA BOOKSTORE (Shinjuku South Store) which opened in 1996. This outlet is the largest bookstore in Japan, with a retail space of 4,750 sq m (51,000 sq ft)! The bookstore has one of the largest collection of English & Japanese books.

Deserted subway tunnels under the skyscrapers at Nishi-Shinjuku. Absolutely lifeless, yet in the daytime swarming with thousands of people on their way to work. This photo was taken literally 5 minutes before the whole place was sealed off for the night with big steel shutters... and guess who almost got shut in for the night as a result?!? Fortunately the PA announces the doors are closing in English, as well as in Japanese...

The Shinjuku area of the city was a great experience. It was very busy - people running about everywhere and had fabulous shopping. Shinjuku is the hub of business in Japan and an area filled with high tech gadgetry.

...shot somewhere here

Shinjuku has more skyscrapers and hotels than any other part of Tokyo.