Nightlife spots off Japan's beaten tourist track seek to lure in foreign visitors
At around 10 p.m. on a Thursday in early August, foot traffic at a dining and drinking district only one stop from Tokyo's Ikebukuro Station was unexpectedly sparse despite warm summer weather — ideal conditions for a cold beverage, or two. Across streetcar tracks and ...
Vandalism suspected after 'Eye of Shinjuku' artwork found damaged
A large eye-shaped piece of artwork that served as a popular meeting spot near the west exit of Shinjuku Station in Tokyo has been vandalized, police said Tuesday. Damage spanning 20 centimeters to the center-right of the artwork was inflicted and not due to natural ...
The jazz cafe offering sounds of the 1960s in a Shinjuku basement
For many Tokyoites, Shinjuku is inextricably linked with the 1960s and '70s and with jazz. "There used to be jazz kissa (cafes) everywhere," says Dug cafe owner and jazz photographer Hozumi Nakadaira. During these decades, the district came to be known as a Mecca ...
Yayoi Kusama polka-dot piano ready for public use at Tokyo government building, with view to die for
Tokyoites looking for a great place to play their favorite Mozart piece take note: The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has set up a grand piano for visitors to the 45th floor of its No. 1 building in Shinjuku Ward, giving people of all skill levels ...
'Shinjuku Tiger': A story of one man and his mask
Spend enough time on the streets of Shinjuku, and you'll eventually spot a flamboyantly dressed figure in a tiger mask carrying fake flowers, stuffed animals and a boombox. This is Shinjuku Tiger, the subject of a documentary of the same name out this week. Tiger-san, ...
Police raid yakuza office in Tokyo after deadly shooting in Kabukicho karaoke box
Police on Wednesday raided the Tokyo office of a yakuza group associated with a man wanted in connection with a murder earlier this month in Shinjuku Ward. Masaru Abe, 56, a member of a group under the Sumiyoshikai crime syndicate, is wanted in connection with ...
Five hurt as car runs onto sidewalk near Tokyo's Shinjuku Station; driver says he choked on tea
A car driven by a 79-year-old man ran onto the sidewalk near JR Shinjuku Station in Tokyo on Wednesday afternoon, hitting and injuring five pedestrians, police said. The driver was quoted by the police as saying, "I had already crashed the car before I realized ...
A car rammed into a group of pedestrians in central Tokyo on Tuesday, injuring seven people, with the driver arrested on the spot, police and rescue workers said. Police arrested Junichi Ono, 52, on suspicion of negligence resulting in injuries. He slightly injured his forehead ...
Sarabeth's PBJ French Toast is a twist on the classic brown-paper-bag lunch
More and more non-Japanese foods that were once impossible to find in Tokyo have become available in recent years. The quality can be hit or miss, but it is out there, waiting to be devoured. But what do you do when you get a ...
Know by Moto: Sake finds a chic haven below Shinjuku
So you've rendezvoused beneath the huge video screen at Studio Alta. You've explored Shinjuku, maybe caught a movie or trawled for treats in the gleaming depachika (basement food floor) of the Isetan department store. Now you're ready for sustenance. Somewhere cool, with good food ...
On the hunt for Gaien Nishi-dori's taste-makers
In Tokyo, people set up funky cafes with all kinds of sideshows — curry, cats, goats, hedgehogs and maids come to mind — so when I catch a whiff of a good cup of joe escaping from a huge glass and concrete box near ...
Homeless in Tokyo: Fallen through society's cracks and frozen out
A night on homeless patrol in Tokyo highlights the range of factors that can lead to a life on the streets.
