I haven’t listed many Shinjuku options in my recommended spots to stay with children in my recommended hotels for families in Tokyo article. I explain why I don’t usually recommend staying in Shinjuku to families travelling to Japan here.
BUT I also don’t want you to panic if you already have something locked in.
Poor old Shinjuku has got a bit of a bad name for itself (red light district, massage parlors, noisy, high crime area .. blah blah blah… ) but I also want to give some people some perspective.
Yes, if you stay near Shinjuku Station ( or Shin-Okubo or Higashi Okubo) you will see a dirtier side of Japan. It’s just a bit grubbier compared to other pristine areas.
We have found lots of fun things to do in Shinjuku (full list here)and I’ve walked around with my double stroller lots of times.
Yes there have been some signs for massage parlors, some entrances to Love Hotels ( just a hotel for couples – nothing that includes anyone else …unless you wanted it to .. of course) and even some people outside nightclubs handing out flyers. But , you know what? Me and my two children…? Not really their target audience so they either ignore us or if they try and hand me something I say ‘Keiko desu‘ (a polite way to say ‘no thank you.’)
When Japanese people refer to an area as ‘high crime’ that usually means ‘a crime happened here last year.’ That crime might be a pick pocket, for example. Like any major city – you need to be smart but definitely don’t feel afraid.
In terms of location, JR Shinjuku is on the Yamanote (city loop line) so its easy to get everywhere.
Like I said, it wouldn’t be my number one choice for a place to stay ( particularly on the Kabukicho side of the station) but if you’ve already locked in a booking by the time you’ve read this. Please don’t fret.
You’ll be just fine.
There are so many more beautiful, convenient family friendly areas to stay. However, if you are set on Shinjuku – these are the options I recommend most:
If you are still determined to stay in Shinjuku, I recommend the following options (click the hotel name for my write up that includes pictures and reasons why) :
&Here Shinjuku
Hyatt Regency Tokyo
Onsen Yuen Ryokan Shinjuku
