Shinjuku

Shinjuku Station is located in the Shinjuku Ward of Tokyo. It is the busiest train station in the world with over 3.5 million passengers usin g the station everyday. Shinjuku is also the second largest station in the world after Nagoya Station in terms of area.

Shinjuku Station is served by the Yamanote, Chuo Main, Chuo Sobu, Shonan Shinjuku, and Saikyo Lines of JR East; Odakyu Odawara Line of Odakyu Electric Railway; Keio and Keio New Lines of Keio Electric Railway; Marunouchi Line of Tokyo Metro; and Toei Shinjuku and Toei Oedo Lines of Toei Subway.

Shinjuku Station spreads over 15 acres of land. On the ground level there are 14 platforms on a north-south axis connected by two overhead and two underground concourses. These facilities serve JR East (East Japan Railways Company) and are all urban and suburban mass transit lines. Just this JR East section alone handles over 1.5 million passengers a day.

Parallel to the JR platforms on the west side is the terminus for Odakyu Odawara Line. This terminus has 10 platforms; 6 on the ground level and 4 on a level below. On the west of Odakyu Line concourse is the Keio Line concourse. This is situated two levels below ground level and consists of 3 platforms stretching north to south. This Keio section is the busiest amongst the privately owned railways of Japan with approximately 750,000 commuters using it each day. The Toei Shinjuku and Keio New Lines share the same 2 platforms stretching east-west 5 floors below ground level southwest of the JR section. Further east and a further level below underground are the 2 north-to-south Toei Oedo subway line platforms. Tokyo Metro's Marunouchi's 2 underground platforms are located to the north of the JR and Odakyu facilities and stretch in the east-west direction.

As Shinjuku Station is a transfer station for trains, buses, taxis and shuttles to the airport, and also because it is the point where all trains in Tokyo converge, the place is always packed with people. What keeps it even more crowded are the many department stores and shopping malls that are built directly into the station's Lumine Est above JR's east exit; Odakyu Department Store above Odakyu Line concourse; Odakyu Mylord (seven floors of shopping and three restaurant floors) above the southern end of Odakyu line concourse; Lumine 1 Shopping Mall and Keio Department Store (11 floors, including a food department in the basement and several restaurants on the restaurant floor) above Keio line concourse; Lumine 2 Shopping Mall above JR's south and Lumine exits; Keio Mall , underground to the southwest of the Keio line concourse; and Odakyu Ace, underground malls beneath the bus terminal by the west exit.

Other than these, there is the Metro Promenade . This is another underground mall, owned by Tokyo Metro, which extends from the station beneath Shinjuku Avenue, all the way to the adjacent Shinjuku-sanchome Station with 60 exits along the way. Still another underground mall, the Shinjuku Subnade , connects Metro Promenade to Seibu-Shinjuku Station.

Shinjuku Station is connected by underground passageways and shopping malls to Nishi-Shinjuku Station of Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, Seibu-Shinjuku Station of Seibu Shinjuku Line, Shinjuku-nishiguchi Station of Toei Oedo Line, Shinjuku-sanchome of Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, and Tochomae Station of Toei Oedo Line.

Shinjuku:

Although Shinjuku is a ward of Tokyo, it generally refers to the entertainment, business and shopping area around Shinjuku Station. What is unique about the area is that each of the two sides of the Station is very different from the other. The west side is very orderly and businesslike. It is Tokyo's largest skyscraper district with several of the tallest buildings in Tokyo located in the area. The east side, in contrast, still retains much of the "downtown's" atmosphere. It is known for its top rate shopping and nightlife including Tokyo's largest red-light district Kabukicho.

Shopping

At the East Exit of Shinjuku Station lies one of the best known and bustling shopping areas of Tokyo. At the center of it all is Takashimaya Times Square , a huge shopping complex consisting of a department store, an arts and crafts shop, restaurants, a theater, and a large branch of Kinokunia bookstore. The department store here is the 15-floor Shinjuku branch of Takashimaya . Restaurants are located on three of its floors and the basement has a large food department. Kinokunia is one of the largest bookstores in Tokyo with a whole floor dedicated to English books.

Right next to the East Exit of Shinjuku Station is Flags . Flags is a ten-floor shopping complex featuring a Tower Records music store, an Oshman's sports goods store, a Gap and various other shops, cafes and an Italian restaurant.

Several camera and electronics stores are located in the area around Shinjuku Station. Prominent among them are the leading discount electronics retailers Yodobashi Camera , Bic Camera , and Sakuraya.

Located across from the South Exit and next to the South Terrace Exit is the pedestrian mall Southern Terrace . Stores and restaurants line both sides of the mall street. The 36-story Odakyu Southern Tower is also located in this mall. There are shops and restaurants on the 1 st to 4 th floors of Odakyu Southern Tower. The 5 th to 18 th floors house offices, and the Odakyu Southern Terrace Century is located on the rest of the floors up to the 35th story.

At the Central East Exit of Shinjuku Station is My City , a building with a mass of small shop units. Directly opposite My City is Studio Alta (Studio Alta can also be accessed from the Shinjuku Station directly to its basement floor). This is an 8-story building with a shopping center, best known for its giant TV screen broadcasting popular TV shows from the TV studio on the 7 th floor. Most of the stores at Studio Alta are fashion-related with a number of clothing, accessories, and specialty stores.

Kabukicho