Shinjuku is like a whole city within a city. Almost three million people a day are said to pass through Shinjuku station alone! To the west of the station, we walked around the skyscrapers that make up the prefectural government and the largest business district. To the east we stopped off in the lively entertainment district, for drinks, food, and shopping! We even ate at a restaurant that served one of the most poisonous fish and one where we had to rub a lamp to get inside! It seemed like every block that we came across in Shinjuku had something new and gave us a different experience every time!

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Tōkyō Tochō, is often visited by tourists for its free observation decks which provide good panoramic views of Tokyo and beyond. The 243 meter tall building has two towers and each houses an observatory at a height of 202 meters. It had been the tallest building in Tokyo until it was overtaken by the Midtown Tower in 2007.

        

        

        

Shinjuku Train Station Area

        

Shinjuku City Night Life

        

        

        

        

        

        

Omoide-yokocho (Memory Lane)

Omoide-yokocho, or Memory Lane, is a series of tiny alleyways lined with small eateries and bars.

        

        

Arabian Rock Restaurant

Arabian Rock is a novelty restaurant, designed to transport you into the Arabian world of Aladdin. Upon entering this restaurant you come to a golden lamp sitting in the wall. You have to rub this lamp in order to get into the restaurant! If you have to wait to be seated, you wait in an old decorated elevator that plays the movie “Aladdin.” Then the waiting staff appear, decked out in belly-dancer outfits. They take you inside and give you a short speech, donning us prince and princess 🙂 Then they lead you to your table to enjoy an Arabian-themed night out.

        

        

Fugu (Pufferfish)

Pufferfish are generally believed to be the second-most poisonous vertebrates in the world, after the golden poison frog. Certain internal organs, such as the liver, and sometimes the skin, contain tetrodotoxin and are highly toxic to most animals when eaten. Nevertheless, the meat of some species is considered a delicacy in Japan, Korea, and China when prepared by specifically trained chefs who know which part is safe to eat and in what quantity. We found a restaurant in Tokyo specializing in preparing fugu (pufferfish).

        

             

        

        

        

 

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