Last updated on January 7th, 2026 at 07:57 pm
There are many reasons to stay in Shinjuku, Tokyo, for your first visit to Japan. It’s one of the most popular areas in Tokyo, convenient for travel, food, and an overall full Japanese travel experience.
Shinjuku district has everything you’ll love and or was interested in Japan in the first place. The wonderful culture, the mesmerizing lights of billboards and signs with flashy Japanese characters. The sounds of J Pop music blaring around every corner, with maid café hostesses carrying billboard menus.
The vibe of Japan is everywhere!
And who can forget about amazing Japanese foods, too!
You’ll either love Shinjuku in Tokyo or hate it. Some friends told me so when I was looking for good, affordable hotels in Shinjuku. It was my first visit to Japan back then.
I’ve stayed in Shinjuku frequently. Although you can visit most of Tokyo via the Yamanote Line, I prefer walking. So I’ve never taken a train to Shinjuku Gyoen Park, Shibuya, Harajuku, and Meiji Shrine to the south. I walked to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office to the west before, and it was pleasant.
I tell you, staying in Shinjuku was everything I expected. It blew my mind.
But there is more to Shinjuku. It will be right in your face and hard to ignore.
Shinjuku’s Famous Red Light District
Shinjuku is home to Tokyo’s largest red light district. To be more precise, the Kabukicho Entertainment District. According to Wikipedia, there are over 3,000 nightlife establishments for tourists and locals to have a good time. All crammed into .15 square miles.
It’s a terrific area to check out, especially at night. I recommend Izakaya Bars, which are popular food and drink establishments preferred by hard-working salary men and women. You can easily find them all over Kabukichō Entertainment District.
Now, even though Kabuchiko is a certified red light district, it’s considered tame compared to Amsterdam’s and Bangkok’s nightlife. You can wander around with young children; it is completely fine.
If you want a guided tour of Shinjuku bars, I recommend Magical Trip. An English-speaking guide that will take you on a 3.5-hour bar-hopping tour of Shinjuku to places you might not find on your own.
Shinjuku Golden Gai
If you love beers and hard liquors, in tight quirky spaces with friendly bartenders, you must not miss the bars of Golden Gai! It’s an alley full of tiny bars stacked on top of even tinier bars. Many have only five seats for bar patrons.
I first took a walk through Golden Gai twenty years ago. Back then, it wasn’t really for foreign tourists. And I gotta admit it wasn’t very safe because I didn’t know which one I would be welcomed to.
Today, Golden Gai has become so famous and well-known around the world. And Golden Gai’s Japanese bars have adopted a foreign-friendly attitude.
There are signs welcoming foreign tourists, even when the bars are super tiny with very little seating.
Shinjuku is NOT for Everyone
I stayed in Shinjuku a few times as a single male traveler. I can tell you with certainty that if you’re a guy walking around Kabukicho, you will be approached by pimps and touts. It’s annoying, but if you remain calm and politely decline, they will leave you alone.
Today, now that I have a wife and child traveling with them around Kabukicho, where you see photos of scantily clad women plastered all over the area, I get it. Shinjuku is not the type of place you want to take your mother to.
So why am I recommending Shinjuku for your first time in Japan? When they’re are so many other terrific neighborhoods in Tokyo.
If you can overlook the shenanigans and monkey business, which the local Japanese and millions of foreign travelers with families do, you can easily have a terrific holiday.
Shinjuku has more good than bad, making it safe for solo and female travelers. That said, always mind your surroundings. That goes for anyone.
Why Stay in Shinjuku
- You can find all types of accommodations for all budgets. Shinjuku has a high concentration of hotels, ranging from capsule to budget and luxury, so you can find something to suit your needs.
- Shinjuku Station is a great starting point for train travel to neighboring cities in Japan and also around the country.
- Whether you prefer traveling by train or on foot, you can reach many popular areas in Tokyo quickly.
- Lots of shopping and restaurants, just like it is in any of Tokyo’s central neighborhoods.
Shinjuku Station is an incredibly complex transportation hub. All major railways connect to what the Guinness Book of World Records calls the busiest station. It’s where you can ride the city’s subway or catch a bus from the nearby bus depot.
It’s an amazing and beautiful station, and it’s even possible that you can spend an entire day inside.
Sotetsu Fresa Inn Higashi Shinjuku ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Although this hotel is the furthest away from Shinjuku Station, Kabukicho, and the center of activity, it’s not that bad. Sotetsu Fresa Inn Higashi Shinjuku is located on the quiet side of Shinjuku. I’ve stayed here more than a few times.
There’s a metro station not far from the hotel with plenty of restaurants for food and drink.
The rooms are typically small, but most importantly, clean and tidy. The hotel staff are curt and polite; it is a good business-class hotel fit for touring Tokyo. I highly recommend this hotel!
Read reviews and find discounts for Sotetsu Fresa Inn Higashi Shinjuku on Agoda.com
Super Hotel Shinjuku Kabukicho ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This hotel will put you in the thick of all the nightlife action Kabukicho offers. Still a great little hotel, mainly due to its location and quality. Though I warn you, the room size is not highly desired at 12 square meters. But the room is clean, there is an onsen bath onsite, and the room rate usually includes breakfast.
Overall, a pretty good value.
Read reviews and find discounts for Super Hotel Shinjuku Kabukicho on Agoda.com
Hotel Gracery Shinjuku ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you want to stay at a hotel with a massive Godzilla head on the rooftop and close to Shinjuku Station, then I’ve got a hotel for you.
It’s an outstanding value for a Japanese 4-star hotel. The standard rooms are just slightly larger at 18 square meters and cost around $125 USD. Though they do have rooms up to 25 square meters, you have to pay extra. But not that much extra.
But I gotta warn you, this hotel is in a super busy location, so there are lots of people, especially at night and on the weekends. But none of the stuff outside spills into the hotel.
Read reviews and find discounts for Hotel Gracery Shinjuku on Agoda.com
WPU Shinjuku ⭐️⭐️
I always seek out new hotels in Shinjuku. WPU is one of the newest in the district. This means that the rooms will be tiny, as most newer hotels in Tokyo are.
Located around the northern tip, just a 10-minute walk from Shinjuku Station. And Shinjuku subway station is mere meters away. Goes without saying that there are plenty of dining options all around.
WPU Hotel has excellent reviews for cleanliness and front desk service. But I warn you, the rooms are the smallest. As I mentioned, it is around 11 square meters.
Read reviews and find discounts for WPU Shinjuku on Agoda.com
Rembrandt Cabin Shinjuku Shin Okuba ⭐️⭐️
If you want to do something mostly unique to Japan, I recommend staying at a capsule hotel. Just for the experience and to have some bragging rights.
Just $40 US per night, there are separate men’s and women’s capsules available. There’s a cool and futuristic vibe to it all.
It’s not in the heart of Shinjuku, but Rembrandt Cabin is located just north of Shinjuku’s Koreatown. And about a 5-minute walk to Shin Okubo Station.
Read reviews and find discounts for Rembrandt Cabin Shinjuku on Agoda.com
Hotel Amanek Shinjuku Kabuchiko ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hotel Amanek is another property in the heart of Kabuchiko. So the price is higher, but not so much that it’s not affordable.
The rooms here are slightly larger, and the hotel staff is attentive. Again, even though Hotel Amanek is located in Shinjuku’s red light district, none of that spills into the hotel. It’s like an oasis away from the madness of Kabuchiko.
You can walk to the nearby Golden Gai or check out the Izakayas for food and drink, just the perfect location for enjoying local nightlife.
Read reviews and find discounts for Hotel Amanek Shinjuku Kabuchiko
Nippon Seinenkan Hotel Tokyo ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This hotel is located right on the edge of where Kabuchiko’s nightlife ends and Tokyo’s Koreatown starts. Which is a great location because you can walk to most, as I do.
But if you would rather take the train, no problem, Gaiemmae Station (Ginza line), which is a subway, is very close, about 5 minute stroll. The Kokuritsu-kyogijo Subway Station, which is a different train network, is about 10 minute walk.
So not only is the location really good, but so are the modern guest rooms. This hotel was built in 2017, and there are 15 floors with over 200 rooms.
A superior double room costs around $150 USD to $175 USD for double occupancy. If you’re staying alone, it’s about $50 USD lower. And this room type is around 18 square meters.
Sounds pricey, but it’s not, considering there’s a really nice (separate men’s and women’s) public bath for hotel guests to enjoy free
It has all the modern comforts needed for a comfortable stay while exploring Tokyo. Or jump off point to other parts of Japan.
Read reviews and find discounts for Nippon Seinenkan Hotel Tokyo
Richmond Hotel Tokyo Mejiro ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was the most recent Shinjuku hotel I’ve stayed in for my recent Japan trip. It’s a little dated, but an excellent cost for value.
For $80 USD after taxes, you can book a 15 square meter double room for two guests. You have the option to pay $10 for breakfast, which, in my opinion, is worth it.
And almost everything you need for a comfortable stay is in the room. From toothpaste, razors even face masks.
This is a big hotel with nearly 100 rooms, so there are various room types if more space is needed. But of course it will cost more.
Mejiro Train Station is the closest you can walk there in a few minutes. I highly recommend Richmond Hotel Tokyo Mejiro.
Read reviews and find discounts for Richmond Hotel Tokyo Mejiro
Conclusion
There are many hotels all over Shinjuku, and I’ve shown you a few around Kabukicho and Golden Gai, in addition to others located outside the district, away from its nightlife.
And even though there are so many transportation options in Shinjuku, I recommend getting around on foot if possible. Because Tokyo’s sidewalks are wide and well-paved. Street signs are in English, which makes wandering around fun.
I hope you find my hotel recommendations to your liking. Please check out my other Japan travel recommendations for even more helpful resources:
MORE OF THE BEST CITIES AND HOTELS TO STAY FOR YOUR FIRST EPIC VISIT TO JAPAN
Osaka – Three Best Areas to Stay in Osaka
Kobe – Looking to stay in Kobe, check out Sannomiya
Where to Stay in Tokyo for Your First Japan Visit
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