Shinjuku (新宿区), Tokyo

Shinjuku, Tokyo


Shinjuku (新宿区) is a special ward of Tokyo. It is bordered by Chiyoda to the east, Bunkyo to the northeast, Toshima to the north, Nakano to the west, and Shibuya and Minato to the south. The ward of Nerima is a short distance from Shinjuku. It is one of the eight central wards of downtown Tokyo which includes Chiyoda, Minato, Shibuya, Chuo, Toshima, Taito and Bunkyo.

Shinjuku houses the commercial and administrative center for the city. It is home to Shinjuku Station, the busiest railway station in the world. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is also located in Shinjuku, along with many of the cutting-edge skyscrapers of the city.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Shinjuku


Shinjuku covers 18.23 sq km (7 sq mi) and has a population of 318,000 (2011 estimate). However, the majority of the people within Shinjuku ward during the day arrive in the morning, and leave for home in the evening or night. As such, the ward experiences high traffic movement.

The name Shinjuku means "new terminus". It is the end-point of the Koshu Kaido highway that was built at the end of the 17th century. In the early days, it was a town known as Naito-Shinjuku. Shinjuku was incorporated into Tokyo City in 1920. As with much of Tokyo, Shinjuku suffered massive devastation during the air raids of the Second World War. Most of the buildings in the ward were built after the war.

Josenin Temple, Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo


When the economy of Japan experienced a property boom in the 1980's, Shinjuku was developed into a massive skyscraper jungle. The advent of new building technology enable earthquake-resistant skyscrapers to be erected, and these are put to test in the construction in Shinjuku.

Planning your trip to Shinjuku

Shinjuku is a major rail hub in Tokyo. Most of the lines of the Tokyo subway pass through Shinjuku. They include the Marunouchi Line, Yurakucho Line, Tozai Line, Fukutoshin Line and Namboku Line of Tokyo Metro, and the Toei Shinjuku Line, Toei Oedo Line and Toden Arakawa Line of the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation. The JR East also has a few railway lines through Shinjuku, among them the Yamanote Line, Chuo Line, Chuo-Sobu Line, Saikyo Line and Shonan-Shinjuku Line.

If you are coming by road, take the Shuto Expressway or the National Route 20 to enter Shinjuku.

East ticket gate, Shinjuku Station

Places in Shinjuku

What to see in Shinjuku

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