Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [83]
OTOME ROAD
You won’t find it on official maps, as Otome Rd (Maiden Rd; Map) is only a nickname in honour of the female otaku who browse the many manga shops lining this street. Many of the shops specialise in yaoi (‘boys’ love’) and beautifully-rendered dōjinshi (fan fiction), catering to the girl geeks who love them. And like its overwhelmingly male-centric otaku counterpart Akihabara, Otome Rd has its share of ‘butler cafes’ and similar spinoffs, where customers are waited on by attentive young men (or husky-voiced women in convincing drag).
One such establishment, the Swallowtail Café (Map; www.butlers-cafe.jp, in Japanese; B1 fl, 3-12-12 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku; 10.30am-9pm Mon-Sat, by appointment only; JR Yamanote line to Ikebukuro, east exit), is so popular you must make reservations days or weeks in advance, so book ahead for your princess-fantasy afternoon tea.
TOKYO METROPOLITAN ART SPACE
Designed to host performances of all kinds, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space (Map; 5391-2111; www.geigeki.jp/english/index.html; 1-8-1 Nishi-Ikebukuro; JR Yamanote line to Ikebukuro, west exit; ) was plonked down just where Tokyo needed it most – on Ikebukuro’s west side. The building has four halls as well as shops and cafes. Those without a ticket for anything should treat themselves to the soaring escalator ride – and the thrills just don’t stop.
Shinjuku
Here in Shinjuku, much of what makes Tokyo tick is crammed into one busy district: upscale department stores, anachronistic stand-up bars, buttoned-up government offices, swarming crowds, streetside video screens, hostess clubs, shyly tucked-away shrines and soaring skyscrapers.
Shinjuku is a sprawling civic, commercial and entertainment centre. Every day more than three million people pass through the station alone, making it one of the busiest in the world. On the western side of the station is Tokyo’s highest concentration of skyscrapers and, presiding over them, Tange Kenzō’s Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices (right) – massive awe-inspiring structures. The eastern side of the station, by contrast, is a labyrinth of department stores, restaurants, boutiques, neon and a glimpse of Tokyo’s underbelly.
EAST SIDE
Shinjuku’s east side is a great one-stop mash-up of trashy low culture, sedate department stores and one of the city’s best cherry-blossom viewing spots, Shinjuku-gyoen.
Kabukichō
Tokyo’s most notorious red-light district lies east of Seibu Shinjuku station, north of Yasukuni-dōri. This is one of the world’s more imaginative red-light districts, with ‘soaplands’ (massage parlours), love hotels, pink cabarets (‘pink’ is the Japanese equivalent of ‘blue’ in English) and strip shows. The streets here are all crackling neon and drunken salarymen. Shady-looking yakuza (mafia) and wannabes glare and slouch in sharkskin suits, and freeters (part-time workers) earn some yen passing out tissue-pack advertisements.
Kabukichō is not wall-to-wall sex; there are also some straight entertainment options, including cinemas and some good restaurants Click here. For a drink, stroll around the teeny, intriguing alleys of the Golden Gai.
Hanazono-jinja
Nestled in the shadow of Kabukichō is this quiet, unassuming shrine, Hanazono-jinja (Map; 3200-3093; 5-17-3 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; Marunouchi & Toei Shinjuku lines to Shinjuku-sanchōme, exits B3 & B5). It only takes a few minutes to stroll the grounds, but it’s a quiet refuge from the Shinjuku streets and particularly pleasant when it’s lit up in the evening.
Shinjuku-gyoen
One of the city’s best escapes and top cherry-blossom viewing spots, Shinjuku-gyoen (Map; 3350-0151;