There’s no denying that Shinjuku is one of Tokyo’s most colourful districts, in so many ways. It’s famous for its extravagant shopping, the busiest train station in the world (with over 3.2 million people passing through on any given day). Its immense crowds thronging day and night. It’s crazy technicolour neon-bling and 3D billboards. It’s sleazy drunken red-light and bar alleyways. But, also surprisingly, a large green sanctuary, one of the most beautiful gardens in all of Tokyo, tucked away in this urban jungle. We’re staying in the sister Onsen Ryokan to the one that we stayed at in Sapporo, so more of the same calmness and Onsen bliss – but instead of snow, we have glittering city views from the bed heads. 

Shinjuku Gyoen is a wonderful 144-acre botanical garden, once the home of a feudal lord , bequeathed to him by the Shogūn in 1590 for his personal residence in Edo. It became an Imperial Botanical Garden after the Meiji Restoration of 1869. Sadly, much of the garden was destroyed by WW2 air raids in 1945, but rebuilt and restored to its former glory after the war and reopened as the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. In 1989, state funeral rites for Emperor Hirohito were held in this garden. 

There are three distinct garden styles and areas to Shinjuku Gyoen. Japanese Traditional, Formal French and English Landscape. Come Springtime here, this garden explodes in Cherry Blossom, so naturally it becomes one of the most popular places in all of Tokyo – where advance bookings are essential and long queues and crowds are to be expected. But on this glorious chilly blue-sky February morning, there was hardly anyone here. There are over 1000 Sakura (cherry) trees here, so I can only imagine how stunningly beautiful this place would be in, say, a month’s time. 

One of the most prominent skyscrapers seen from Shinjuku Gyoen is the Empire State Building-inspired NTT DoCoMo Yoyogi Building, the 7^th tallest in Tokyo at 240 metres. It’s omnipresent, looming ever large, reminding you of course that the big bad city rings this beautiful quiet oasis. 

Just outside the park gates the madness begins at Shinjuku Station – it’s a world away from the calmness of the park and its large silent carp mouthing for food scraps – no, here it’s loud and brash with incredible surges of humanity charging across vast crossings and a parallel, bewildering shopping city stampeding beneath. There are a couple of notable tourist-haunts that I had to see, just because the guidebooks rant on about them. First up, the giant 3D Cat at “Cross Shinjuku Vision”, a giant CGI animated cat. Naturally there are throngs of people standing open-mouthed with cameras at the ready. Perhaps I was one of them… it’s all very Japanese. Next up, the 80-ton Godzilla Head, another landmark and tourist attraction in the red light Kabukochō district and accessible from the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku. At night, Godzilla has glowing red eyes and smoky breath. Originally, it was part of an ad campaign for the 2016 film “Shin Godzilla”. There’s even a Godzilla-themed room at the Hotel Gracery. Perhaps next time…

The district of Golden Gai (Golden Block) was frustratingly hard to find tucked behind a tangle of busy streets, but we eventually stumbled upon it just as the previous night’s guests were stumbling out into the cold bright sunshine of late morning. Drunk as skunks. Golden Gai is a densely packed labyrinth of narrow laneways jammed solid with tiny bars, some fitting perhaps only 3-6 people at one time and some with impossible second levels, precariously perched up rickety staircases. I mean, some of the doors to these bars are basically hatches. But Golden Gai packs some 200-300 bars that come alive after dark and well into the small or even early morning hours. Some have steep cover charges whilst others are free to use. Some are karaoke whilst others are just ‘drink to you drop’ bars. Some though, say ‘no to foreigners’ as this place is the afterwork haunt of the famed ‘salarymen’, seeking their afterwork oblivion before they retrace their steps to Shinjuku Station and home. And repeat. 

https://gracery.com/shinjuku/page/godzilla/en/