We had seen a lot of Tokyo's different faces: cute, modern, weird, beautiful, historic, confusing. But until our visit to East Shinjuku, we hadn't experienced the famously seedy side of Tokyo. The Golden Gai, Kabukicho and Piss Alley are three areas which forever changed our impression of the city. (A change for the better? I'll leave that unanswered.)
Widely considered to be one of the prettiest spots in Tokyo, the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden has long been a favorite spot for weary Tokyoites looking to escape the city's concrete jungle. However, if it's crowds you're hoping to escape, you might want to look elsewhere.
Although it's considered Western Tokyo, Shinjuku can legitimately claim to be the new center of the city. Shinjuku Station is busier than Tokyo Station, serving nearly four million passengers a day. The city government has moved here, and Shinjuku boasts not only Tokyo's most infamous entertainment district, but most of its tallest skyscrapers.
It's hard to imagine an experience more perfectly suited to Tokyo, and one less likely to exist anywhere else, than Shinjuku's Robot Restaurant. With a stage show that stretches the definition of terms like "elaborate" and "bizarre," the restaurant has quickly become one of the city's most popular venues.
