6 Best Sights in Shinjuku, Tokyo

Originally constructed in the early Edo period, Hanazono is not among Tokyo's most imposing shrines, but it does have a long history. Prayers offered here are believed to bring prosperity in business. The shrine is a five-minute walk north on Meiji-dori from the Shinjuku-sanchome subway station. The shrine hosts festivals, but might be most interesting late at night. The back of the shrine is adjacent to the "Golden-Gai," a district of tiny, somewhat seedy nomiya (bars) that in the '60s and '70s commanded the fierce loyalty of fiction writers, artists, freelance journalists, and expat Japanophiles—all the city's hard-core outsiders.

Need a break from the sensory overload? At the Humax Pavilion, you can shoot a few games of pool, recline in a sauna, relax in a karaoke box, or sharpen your skills at any number of video games. This multilevel entertainment center is in the middle of all of Kabuki-cho's chaos.

This lovely 150-acre park was once the estate of the powerful Naito family of feudal lords, who were among the most trusted retainers of the Tokugawa shoguns. After World War II, the grounds were finally opened to the public. It's a perfect place for leisurely walks: paths wind past ponds and bridges, artificial hills, thoughtfully placed stone lanterns, and more than 3,000 kinds of plants, shrubs, and trees. There are different gardens in Japanese, French, and English styles, as well as a greenhouse (the nation's first, built in 1885) filled with tropical plants. The best times to visit are April, when 75 different species of cherry trees—some 1,500 trees in all—are in bloom, and the first two weeks of November, during the chrysanthemum exhibition.

The multi-level museum began its life to showcase works by painter Seiji Togo (1897–1978) who was a master at capturing grace on canvas, but now hosts not only exhibits of his work from their collection alongside pieces by other Japanese and Western artists, such as Gauguin and Cezanne, at any given time. The museum also houses van Gogh's Sunflowers.

Dominating the western Shinjuku skyline, this grandiose, Kenzo Tange–designed complex is clearly meant to remind observers that Tokyo's annual budget is bigger than that of the average developing country. Locals either love or hate the building, but on a clear day, from the observation decks on the 45th floors of both towers (663 feet above ground), you can see all the way to Mt. Fuji and to the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture. Several other skyscrapers in the area have free observation floors, but city hall is the best of the lot. The Metropolitan Government website, incidentally, is an excellent source of information on sightseeing and current events in Tokyo.