My sister Pincky,  lives in Otsuka, its 4 stations away from Shinjuku, the JAPAN we see in the movies.

Getting around Japan is really convenient, unless you're really really rich, you can afford to have a car in Japan, but if not, like the rest of the population, you take the train.  Locals ride bicycles from their house to the train station, park it, ride, and then, ride back, and bike back to the house. 

We went to Shinjuku, and took the train, station was JAMPACKED!! there were so many people, especially during rush hours. 

Speaking of trains, they have this really really cute thing for people who likes to keep souvinir, they have what they call "Stamp Rally", they have it in almost every station, and every train line.  you should look out for it, its always near the exit, when you insert your ticket in the machine.

Not only in train stations, they do it in malls, in tv station tours, etc. its really a Japanese thing,

Tip: so i suggest if you're going to alot of different places, make sure to bring a planner, or a notebook, thats light enough to be carried in your bag, so that WHEREVER you see one, you can stamp it on your planner, its a memorabilia that you have been to that place

check this out:  http://www.dotpattern.com/artwerk/rubber-stamps/japan-rubber-stamps.html

When we got to Shinjuku, there was soooo many things to see, from the lights, to the Pachinko centers, to the Purikura (Print Club) booths, arcades, UFO catchers, to the porn posters, food stands, 2nd hand branded shops (OMG!!) to buildings that are TV as well,  so much to take in, its amazing.

So many different kinds of food to try!

Ended up at Tokyo's Shinjuku distict for the day with some great views of the Tokyo from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office.  We parked it at the swanky Keio Plaza Tokyo Hotel on the western-end of Shinjuku.

Alexias:

"The flight from Hong Kong to Japan is about 5 hours, so make sure you have something to do. We were staying at the Hyatt Regency Tokyo, so we had to wait for a bus to come to take us. Our first Japanese experience was the vending machine for drinks outside while we were waiting. Note the color underneath the drinks (red for hot drinks, blue for cold.), and it's better to try to give exact change, because just giving 500 Yen doesn't always work.

The ride from the Airport to our hotel was about an hour or so. I fell asleep for most of the ride, so I didn't see much. Serena told me we had passed Disneyland though.

It takes about an hour and a half by the Airport bus just outside of Terminal 1. There are two places where you can go for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. One is the Kauku restaurant, located on the 2nd floor, and the Cafe, which is in the lobby. My mum and dad bought a package for the rooms, as there were four of us. It's a Cathay Pacific Holiday Package for Easter, so I don't know how much the whole thing was. The hotel is close to just about everywhere. You can take the shuttle bus to Shinjuku Station, which comes about every 20 minutes, or you can walk there, which takes about 10 minutes. Near the hotel is also a government building, where there is a variety of things to do, from getting food at 7 11, to the stationary store, to the observation deck at night. The rooms are pretty spacey. The King's room provides a king sized bed, a medium sized television (Japanese and English channels), a desk with a cable to connect to the internet, two bedside tables, a small bathroom provided with toothbrushes, a hairbrush, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and towels of all sizes. There is also a filled fridge and minibar. If you have any questions about where you would like to go, the front desk is always helpful, giving you a map and very detailed directions. I think that's about it. OH! and you get free breakfast coupons for however long you stay.

This is a great wine bar in a great location and very reasonably priced. It is located a 1 minute walk from Shinjuku station just out of the JR Central East Exit head out the Lumine Est Exit on the 1st Floor cross the road and you will see the Untied Colours of Benetton Store and the Wine Bar is located on the opposite side of the road on the corner opposite Lotte Burger resturant (it has a big yellow and red sign). The wine bar and resturant is located on the 3rd Floor. Look for the red circle on the sign that says Bou's. The resturant features a variety of small dishes starting at around 600 yen and ranging up to 2,800 yen for the most expensive. You can choose individually from the menu or order a party course for 3,000 yen. The wine bar features drinks starting at 525 yen for glasses of white and red wine. There are (28 kinds, sparkling, rose, white, red, dessert wine). Bottles of wine (over 100 kinds) start from 2,700 yen. There is also beer, cocktails, sake and sours at approx 600 yen each. The menu is in Japanese and English. Some staff speak a little English too. I would recommend making a reservation if you plan to visit on a weekend. Some staff speak english so making a reservations isn't a problem. A nice food and wine at a reasonable price also in a convient location. For more details check: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/fl/en/g144902/

10 minutes walk north of the train station the appartments are n a great location for Shinjuku. The glass clad appartment block looks very new from both the inside and out. the staff all speak fluent English and are very helpful and friendly The rooms are small, but have absolutely everything you could need. Cabel tv, bose stereo, i-pod docking stations upon request, kitchette, washing machine, bathroom ....and v. comfy beds!!! also everything is new and spotlessly clean.

I got my haircut finally today. A friend told me about this place in Shinjuku that cuts your hair in 10 minutes for only 1000 yen (10 USD). Everything is so convenient and efficient here! I had to go check it out for myself. Sure enough, only a stone's throw away from the station stood the tiny little hair shop. I was a bit skeptical at first, but I couldn't pass up the chance to at least say I'd done it.

When I entered the shop, I had to put a 1000 yen bill (exact change) into a machine and get a ticket (I've determined that you can buy pretty much anything from a vending machine here in Tokyo from beer to cigarettes to hot ramen soup to haircuts). I handed the ticket to the stylist who asked me what I wanted done. I told him in Japanese that my Japanese wasn't very good and asked him to do as he thought best. Sure enough, ten minutes later he had done his best and my hair was shorter and cleaner. My favorite part was when the guy pulled out the vacuum hose that sucked up all the extra hair off my head. It definitely has a bit more Tokyo flare to it though which I'm happy about. Supposedly the haircuts in Tokyo are some of the most trendy and hip in the world, but they can run upwards of 10,000 yen for a cut only (about 100 USD). So I was happy to get mine cut for only 1000. Oh, did I mention that they put the comb that they use in a bag for you to take home?

Here are the photos and some other random photos taken around Shinjuku. The winter holiday season is approaching fast and I'm looking forward to eating Christmas Cake.

Shinjuku is a large shopping, business and entertainment area. Some of the attractions in Shinjuku include: * many large department stores most of these are located out of the South or New South exit of the train station. * three large chain discount electronic stores located out of both the east and west exit of the station. * Shinjuku gyoen (Shinjuku Park) located out of the sout exit of the station and a short walk across the south terrace area. There is a small entrance fee of 200 yen. * The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office which has an observation tower on the 45th floor and its free. I recommend staying in Shinjuku till early evening when you can see all the bright neon signs all lit up. I personally think it is much more impressive than the lights in Ginza. The best area to see all the neon lights is just out of the east exit of the station. If you cross the main street and head down a small side all this is Kabukicho district which features many cheap resturants and bars. You can easily spend a whole day exploring in Shinjuku and its very cheap way to see the sights.

The design theme of the restaurant is funky French circus, with gawdy accessories like a giant pink chandelier, swirly candy colored booths, mounted fake tiger's heads, and a blue elephant overlooking the bar. I think most of the girls who walk in say, "omygod!!! how cute~~~" The majority of the clientele were young women. I started with an iced peach mint tea. It's a refreshing mint tea that comes with a tiny pitcher of peach-infused syrup. Delicious!!!! It made me want to try making it at home. My two friends and I shared the hor's douvres combo, which included smoked salmon, cured meats, pate, and vegetables on top of salad greens. Then we had rosemary french fries, seared tuna and avocado salad, and pumpkin gnocchi. For dessert, we shared a chocolate crepe and a banana caramel crepe. The ambience is quiet and pleasant despite the flashy decor. French pop music plays softly in the background and the two servers were very low key. Interesting place, but it needs a little more pizazz in their food. With such a cool interior, I expected more adventurous menu items. The total bill was around 6900 yen.