Nishi-Shinjuku: From the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Observatories to SOMPO Museum of Art and Omoide Yokocho

Enter Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1 from Tochomae Station on the Toei Oedo Line and look out over the city of Tokyo from the 45th-floor observatory. Walk northeast to meet Van Gogh's Sunflowers at the SOMPO Museum of Art, and in the evening, head to Omoide Yokocho by Shinjuku Station's west exit. This half-day walking course takes you around the west side of Shinjuku Station.

History & Local Charm

Before moving to Shinjuku, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government was located in Marunouchi, Chiyoda Ward, around where the Tokyo International Forum stands today. Until 1965, the site of the current government building was home to the Yodobashi Water Purification Plant, which cleaned water from the Tamagawa Aqueduct and supplied it to a wide area. Tange Kenzo and Associates was chosen to design the new government building, which was completed in 1991. It is an unusual skyscraper as its exterior is covered in stone.

In 1976, with the cooperation of Western-style painter Togo Seiji, the SOMPO Museum of Art opened on the 42nd floor of the Yasuda Fire & Marine Insurance (now Sompo Japan) headquarters building as the Togo Seiji Museum of Art. In 1987, it put Van Gogh's Sunflowers, purchased that same year, on public display. It changed to its current name in 2020 and moved into a new museum building constructed on the grounds of the headquarters.

The origins of Omoide Yokocho date back to immediately after the end of World War II. On the scorched earth in front of the west exit of the station, an open-air market partitioned by simple wooden boards—a black market known as "Lucky Street"—appeared. This was the predecessor of Omoide Yokocho. On the west side of the station, you can connect on foot three places with completely different backgrounds: a government building built on the site of a water purification plant, an art museum born on the 42nd floor of a corporate headquarters, and an alley that has continued from a black market.

Key Highlights

• ​Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1​​: The upper floors are divided into two towers, North and South, each featuring an observation deck 202 meters above ground on the 45th floor. To the northeast, you can see Tokyo Skytree, and to the southeast, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and Meiji-jingu Shrine. To the west is the direction of Mount Fuji; from December to February, when temperatures are low and visibility is clear, there are many days when Mount Fuji can be seen. In the South Observation Deck, there is the "Tocho Omoide Piano," whose decoration was supervised by Honorary Tokyo Citizen Kusama Yayoi, and visitors can play it during designated hours.
• ​SOMPO Museum of Art​​: This museum is well known as the only art museum in Asia where you can view Van Gogh's Sunflowers. It is believed that Sunflowers was painted around late November to early December 1888 in Arles, southern France, while Van Gogh was living together with Gauguin. The exhibition rooms span the 3rd to 5th floors, with Sunflowers displayed in the final section of the exhibition floor. Soft curves that harmonize with the flared base of the headquarters building have been incorporated into both the exterior and interior of the building.
• ​Omoide Yokocho​​: A dining alley lined with around 60 eateries, centered on motsuyaki (grilled offal) and yakitori shops. Around 1947, when restrictions on controlled goods such as wheat flour were strictly enforced, many establishments began operating as motsuyaki shops using beef and pork offal, which were not controlled goods. The structure partitioned by single wooden door boards is still preserved today, and many shops share walls directly with their neighbors.

Suggested Itinerary & Duration

The estimated time required is approximately 3 hours. It takes a 1-minute walk from Exit A4 of Tochomae Station on the Toei Oedo Line to reach Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1. To reach the observatories, take the dedicated observatory elevator from the 1st floor of Building No. 1. As the 2nd-floor entrances are closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, proceed around to the main entrance on the 1st floor. Near the center of the 2nd floor, a large kumade rake, an auspicious item associated with the Tori-no-Ichi fair, is displayed. The North and South observation decks have different closing days. Photography using tripods is not permitted.

The SOMPO Museum of Art is located about 560 meters northeast of Building No. 1. Before entering, take a look at the ceramic board reproduction of Sunflowers in the front courtyard. The viewing route takes an elevator up to the 5th floor and proceeds down to the 4th and 3rd floors, with Sunflowers waiting at the very end. Because it is viewed as part of the overall exhibition, you cannot view Sunflowers alone.

Omoide Yokocho is about 270 meters east of the SOMPO Museum of Art. When evening arrives, step into the narrow alleyways of the yokocho. Many shops only accept cash, so be sure to bring cash with you. Shops along the central street (Naka-dori) do not have restrooms inside, so shared restrooms are used. Some shops charge an otoshi (a cover charge that comes with a small appetizer) or have time limits on stays. Smoking is prohibited inside the alley, except within shops where smoking is permitted. After sunset, the projection mapping show "TOKYO Night & Light" is projected onto the exterior walls of Building No. 1. If you wish to view it, return to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, about 810 meters southwest of Omoide Yokocho. Because Omoide Yokocho is right by the west exit of Shinjuku Station, you can easily head straight to the station when heading home.

Experience Summary

Take in the view over Tokyo from an observatory 202 meters above ground, and come face-to-face with Van Gogh's Sunflowers in the final corner of the museum. Then, in the evening, find yourself enveloped in the smoke of motsuyaki in an alleyway that retains traces of its wooden board-partitioned past. This half-day walking course lets you experience the past and present of the west side of Shinjuku Station, from the heights of the government towers to the alleys born of a black market.