From Shin-Okubo Koreatown to Kabukicho, Hanazono-jinja Shrine, and the Night at Shinjuku Golden Gai

Sample popular Korean gourmet foods in Tokyo's largest Koreatown, spreading out around JR Shin-Okubo Station. This course takes you south into Kabukicho Ichibangai-dori Street, visits Hanazono-jinja Shrine—the head tutelary shrine of Shinjuku—and finishes with an evening in Shinjuku Golden Gai right next to the shrine grounds.

History and Local Charm

The place name Hyakunincho around Shin-Okubo originates from the Edo period's "Teppo Hyakuningumi" (matchlock gun troop of one hundred). Foot soldiers tasked with defending the west of Edo were granted residences in Okubo and lived here in a community. It was much later that the area became known as a Koreatown. In 1981, a restaurant said to be a renowned Korean eatery opened on Shokuan-dori Street, and after the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the number of travelers and international students from South Korea rapidly increased. Following the major boom of the TV drama Winter Sonata in 2004, Shin-Okubo came to be recognized as a Tokyo sightseeing spot.

To the south, Kabukicho was reduced to ashes by air raids in April 1945. Just four days after the war ended, Suzuki Kihei, who was the local neighborhood association head, embarked on a reconstruction plan for an entertainment district featuring movie theaters and the "Kiku-za" kabuki theater. Although Kiku-za was never built, the name "Kabukicho" remained.

Hanazono-jinja Shrine also shares ties with the performing arts. In the Edo period, in order to rebuild the shrine pavilions lost to a great fire, a theater was set up within the grounds to stage shows, plays, and dances, which received great acclaim. After the war, tent theater performances by Kara Juro were held within the precinct. Next door, in Shinjuku Golden Gai, writers, film directors, and other cultural figures gathered during the high-growth era, turning it into the epicenter of Shinjuku culture. From a neighborhood of food tasting to a corner steeped in the history of theater and drinking spots, this route links the area northeast of Shinjuku Station on foot.

Key Highlights

• ​Shin-Okubo Koreatown​​: Many shops line Okubo-dori Street in front of JR Shin-Okubo Station, Shokuan-dori Street to the south, and Ikemen-dori Street, the alley connecting the two. Here you will find popular Korean dining spots serving dishes like yakiniku (barbecue), cheese dak-galbi, and visually cute sweets, alongside many food stalls where you can enjoy eating while walking. Korean cosmetics and K-POP idol merchandise shops also line the streets, and in recent years, shops representing other Asian regions have also increased.
• ​Kabukicho Ichibangai-dori Street​​: The main street of Kabukicho, featuring an entrance arch installed in 1969. With its distinct design and red illumination, it serves as the symbol of Kabukicho. At the site where the kabuki theater was originally planned, the Shinjuku Koma Theater opened in 1956, and after its closure, the Shinjuku Toho Building opened there in 2015. In May 2024, a kabuki performance—the origin of the district's name—was finally realized in Kabukicho.
• ​Hanazono-jinja Shrine​​: Geino Sengen-jinja Shrine within the grounds is a small shrine built atop a Fujizuka (miniature Mount Fuji mound), famous for its numerous votive offerings from the performing arts, such as theater and music. Itoku Inari-jinja Shrine features a corridor of donated red torii gates. The bronze Chinese guardian lions cast in 1821 by master craftsman Murata Seimin are registered as Tangible Cultural Properties of Shinjuku Ward.
• ​Shinjuku Golden Gai​​: In a compact area of roughly 2,000 tsubo (around 6,600 sq. meters), low-rise wooden row houses stand together, packing in over 280 establishments. It mainly consists of six east-west alleys and one north-south street; among them, 3rd Street is often said to best represent the atmosphere of Golden Gai. This townscape was preserved thanks to the united efforts of the bar owners against redevelopment plans that arose during the bubble economy.

Recommended Route and Duration

The approximate duration is about 4 hours. After leaving JR Shin-Okubo Station, first stroll along Okubo-dori Street, take Ikemen-dori Street, and emerge onto Shokuan-dori Street. This allows you to explore all three streets. Korean grocery stores line Shokuan-dori Street. Enjoy tasting treats on the go while checking out stalls that catch your eye.

Kabukicho Ichibangai-dori Street is about 660 meters south of Shin-Okubo Koreatown. Ichibangai is also called Gekijo-dori (Theater Street). Look up at the red-lit entrance arch. Because it is a street with heavy foot traffic, be mindful of your surroundings when taking photos.

Hanazono-jinja Shrine is about 440 meters east-southeast of Kabukicho Ichibangai-dori Street. Within the precinct, visit Geino Sengen-jinja Shrine atop the Fujizuka, the neighboring monument to the singer Fuji Keiko, and Itoku Inari-jinja Shrine lined with red torii gates. During the Tori-no-Hi (Days of the Rooster) in November, the Otorisai Festival is held, featuring stalls selling kumade (ornamental rakes). It is counted among the "Three Great Tori-no-Ichi Markets of Kanto," alongside Otori-jinja Shrine in Asakusa and Okunitama-jinja Shrine in Fuchu.

Shinjuku Golden Gai sits adjacent to the grounds of Hanazono-jinja Shrine, about 120 meters to the northwest. Once the sun sets, walk through several of the east-west alleys starting from "Shiki no Michi," the north-south pedestrian path on the western edge. Each street has a different ambiance. The area is packed with small bars of about 10 to 15 square meters, and hopping between bars of your choice is the way to enjoy this district. On the way back, it is about a 5-minute walk to the East Exit of Shinjuku Station.

Experience Summary

Stroll through Korean food stalls, pass through the street bearing the legacy of a planned kabuki theater, and pay your respects at a shrine deeply connected with theatrical performance and the arts. Finally, step into the row-house alleys where cultural figures once drank throughout the night. From daytime food tastings to evening bar hopping, this course lets you discover the many faces of Shinjuku.