1.
Shinjuku; the Tokyo district of skyscrapers, shopping, and nightlife
A major district in western Tokyo built around Shinjuku Station, the busiest railway station in the world. It combines the high-rise office quarter and city hall on the west side with department stores, bars, and the Kabukicho entertainment area on the east.
Common expressions
- 新宿駅: Shinjuku Station
- 西新宿: the skyscraper and city-hall side
- 歌舞伎町: the nightlife quarter east of the station
- 新宿御苑: Shinjuku Gyoen, the large garden park
Cultural note
Because so many lines meet there, 新宿駅 is a byword for crowds and for getting lost — its underground passages are a standing joke. The district also serves in fiction as shorthand for the restless, anonymous side of Tokyo.