| The high-rise buildings covering the area around
Shinjuku Station's west entrance are still new, at just 20 to 30 years old. The
tidy appearance of the buildings imparts an inorganic quality to the place. This
still-life landscape, where pedestrians are quickly swallowed up by the huge structures,
is a world apart from the area around the east entrance, which is always abuzz
with foot traffic. West Shinjuku's character is defined by the concentration of
foreign-owned luxury hotels there. Looking out at the night scenery over dinner
at a luxury hotel restaurant, one can easily entertain the illusion of being in
Manhattan.
The restaurants found on the top floors of all of these high-rise buildings
afford views of Tokyo
Bay to the east and Mt.
Fuji and other mountains, appearing surprisingly close, to the west. The Tokyo
Metropolitan Government's Twin Towers building, the tallest structure in Shinjuku,
has two free-admission observation decks on the south and north sides of its forty-fifth
floor. An unexpected amenity for a city government building is the bar that opens
in the evening hours.
The development around the west entrance to Shinjuku Station continues. Seven
years ago, a multipurpose cultural complex known as Tokyo
Opera City was completed. This 54-story structure, located on the west side
of the cluster of high-rises, includes a theater offering operas, ballets, theatrical
performances, and concerts. The complex is practically a city in itself, with
restaurants and offices where some 10,000 people work.
Shinjuku is also a mecca for camera buffs. Along with the big discount retailers
near the west station entrance, many other camera shops of various sizes are concentrated
in this area. Shoppers can find new and used equipment, as well as a full array
of photographic materials, to suit photographers of every level from pro to amateur.
The used-camera shops offer the tantalizing possibility of some stellar finds.
There are large discount shops around the east entrance too, so camera shoppers
should check out both areas.
The area south of the station has also seen rapid development in recent years.
Just outside the south entrance is Southern Terrace, a 350-meter walkway lined
with an array of restaurants, cafes, home-decor shops, and other establishments.
The free-standing buildings in this, the most recently developed area of Shinjuku,
impart a stylish ambience that makes this a fresh, pleasant walking and shopping
destination. At the end of the walkway is a high-rise complex housing another
luxury hotel. This complex also has a collection of restaurants that draw shoppers
in after they have had their fill of walking around. Just across the train tracks
from this complex are a large department store and Japan's largest bookstore,
which boasts a million titles.
Shinjuku is always changing, but one thing that always remains the same is
its vitality. |
