Area listings: Shinjuku

Shinjuku

Takashimaya - Department store: Shinjuku
[Open 10am-8pm daily.]
Although perhaps not as trendy and modern as nearby Isetan, Takashimaya's basement level houses one of the more upscale food halls in town, well stocked with luxury items as well as more everyday fare.
Tokyu Hands Shinjuku - Retail: Shinjuku
[Open 10am-8:30pm daily.]
This popular "do-it-yourself" shop stocks a good selection of curtains, lamps, gardening tools, kitchen utensils, bicycles, cosmetics, costumes, drills and power tools, picture frames, notebooks and clocks.
Samurai - Jazz cafe: Shinjuku
[Open 6pm-midnight (Sat. 3pm-mid). Open every day.]
Thousands of maneki neko (good-luck cat statues) fill the interior of this spacious cafe-bar. There's a counter and several tables, making this a good venue for a small party. Service is friendly and the air isn't too smoky. The manager seems to...
New Dug - Jazz cafe: Shinjuku
[Open noon-2am daily.]
This popular cafe-bar was featured as a setting in Haruki Murakami's novel "Norwegian Wood." In the afternoons customers enjoy quiet jazz along with a cup of their relatively bitter coffee (Y420), while at nighttime the place is packed with lively...
Isetan - Department store: Shinjuku
[Open 10am-7:30pm. Closed Wednesdays.]
One of Tokyo's top-level department stores, Isetan features popular imported and Japanese luxury fashion brands. The basement food floor is probably the best in the city.
Pit Inn - Jazz club: Shinjuku
[Open 2:30-5, 7:30-10:30pm daily.]
It may be smoky and cramped, but you can hear some of the most interesting local and international jazz in town here.
Shinjuku Gyoen Shinjuku Gate - Park/garden: Shinjuku
[Open 9am-4:30pm (enter by 4pm). Closed Mondays.]
The lovely gardens here include sections with three distinct styles - English landscape gardens, French formal gardens, and Japanese traditional gardens. There are several ponds, and a couple of teahouses where you can stop for green tea and sweets...
Narcis - Jazz cafe: Shinjuku Kabukicho
[Open 5-11pm. Closed Sundays.]
The bustling Kabukicho neighborhood may seem like a strange place for a jazz cafe, but Narcis is a great spot for listening to quiet jazz, and their stylish interior design is reminiscent of old cafes in New York City's East Village. The tiny...
Don Quijote - Retail: Shinjuku Kabukicho
[Open 24 hours a day.]
A 24-hour branch of the wonderfully eclectic discount store chain.
Shinjuku Copa Bowl - Bowling alley: Shinjuku Kabukicho
[Open 11am-6:30am (Fri, Sat -8am). Open every day.]
Shinjuku Milano Bowl - Bowling alley: Shinjuku Kabukicho
[Open 11am-6am daily.]
Shinjuku Batting Center - Sports facility: Shinjuku Kabukicho
[Open 10am-4am daily.]
Located in the middle of the Kabukicho red-light district, this late-night facility offers twelve batting ranges with varying ball speeds.

Nishi-Shinjuku

Odakyu - Department store: Nishi-Shinjuku
[Open 10am-8pm daily.]
Odakyu's basement food hall has dozens and dozens of stalls selling everything from Chinese food to fresh-squeezed juices and organic vegetables.
Keio Department Store - Department store: Nishi-Shinjuku
[Open 10am-8pm daily.]
At - Bar: Nishi-Shinjuku
[Open 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.]
Of all the bars and restaurants on the upper floors of the Sumitomo Building, At may be the most casual and relaxed. You can stop by for a drink or two and snacks (tapas dishes start at just Y300), or have a full meal if you're so inclined. The...
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building - Attraction: Nishi-Shinjuku
[Open 9:30am-11pm daily.]
Tokyo's city hall building features not one but two free observation decks from which to enjoy a sweeping view of the city and surroundings. On a clear day you can see Mount Fuji, but the view at dusk or nighttime is more entertaining, as the...
Peak Lounge & Bar - Cafe: Nishi-Shinjuku
[Open 11am-10:30pm daily.]
Enjoy chic cocktails in a bamboo grove high in the sky at the Park Hyatt's internationally famous bar and lounge. More casual than the Park Hyatt's New York Bar, the Peak Lounge also serves afternoon tea, desserts and light snacks. Cocktails start...

Hatsudai

Gallery 5 - Bookstore: Hatsudai
[Open 10:45am-7pm (Fri, Sat -8pm). Closed Mondays.]
Run by the NADiff chain of art bookstores, Gallery 5 serves as the museum shop for the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery. In addition to art books they also carry an interesting selection of experimental music as well as arty toys.
Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery - Art museum: Hatsudai
[Open 11am-7pm (Fri, Sat -8pm). Closed Mondays.]
In addition to contemporary fine arts, the gallery also presents diverse and well-put-together shows covering fashion, architecture and design. Attached is an interesting museum shop called Gallery 5, run by Nadiff art bookstore.
ICC (InterCommunication Center) - Attraction: Hatsudai
[Open noon-5pm. Closed Mondays.]
ICC explores the interface between electronic technology and the arts with varying degrees of success. Some of the installations here seem more like cool toys than groundbreaking art, but there's always some fun stuff to look at and play with.
Japanese Sword Museum - Museum: Hatsudai
[Open 10am-4:30pm (enter by 4pm). Closed Mondays.]
This small, difficult-to-find museum will be of great interest to Japanese sword enthusiasts and collectors, although the lack of English-language descriptions might limit its appeal among the general public. The facility is run by the Society for...