10 Spots for Night Photography in Shinjuku Tokyo

Near Kabukicho there is a street named after the sculpture of Godzilla head at the end of the street. Remember to check the Godzilla head on the left top of the hotel name Hotel Gracery. You can go up to the hotel and visit the Godzilla Cafe to take a closer look at the Godzilla head. With all the people hustling the night, standing on the road might seem a little too chaotic. Through out the day whether it be day or night, this road is usually cramped with people. The best spot to get a picture here is from a slight birds eye view where you can get a wider shot of the street. There is a special and not-so-well known spot where you can get a bird’s eye view of this street. Pro tip: Every night at around 8-9pm the eyes of the Godzilla light up red so if you want that extra oomph we recommend taking a picture after it lights up.

Robot Restaurant is another famous restaurant for tourists. The restaurant is more a show business than a place to eat as showcases laser lights, flashy dancers, and extravagant glittering robots. Time and time again it’s been used to portrait an image of Japan abroad. Also don’t expect many robots in the so called restaurant, despite the name, they are not the main focus of the ‘‘restaurant’’. Unfortunately taking pictures inside the Robot Restaurant is not allowed. For those of you who are street photographers there’s good news. The neon sign outside Robot Restaurant is equally (or even better for some) photogenic. Stand at the end of the street and adjust the exposure to the neon sign to take pictures of silhouettes like above.

There’s a Chinese noodle restaurant between Golden Gai and Korea Town in Shinjuku. They make the noodle from scratch whenever a customer orders a dish with noodles. The making of the noodle can be seen from the outside through the huge winder display. Stand opposite the road with a zoom lens ready and wait for a customer to order some noodles! The red Chinese lanterns combined with the expressions of the chef making the noodles makes this spot worth going to. You can also ask to take a picture from the inside. The owners are nice and will gladly comply for photographing this guy. Order some Chinese here as a way of saying thanks! Below is a picture taken from the inside of the restaurant.

This one is one of our favorite spots to take a picture in Tokyo. A spot definitely instagram worthy and a spot where you are guaranteed to go home with satisfaction. The incandescent light from the entrance/exit of the subway casts a long looming shadow of the person at the opening. Darkening the other parts of the picture in post-processing it creates an interesting moody ambience. The blue neon light and the yellow ground surface indicators add a color contrast making this an amazing picture. The birds-eye view of an entrance/exit to a subway is not easy to find so this spot is definitely worth it.

This retro alley contrasts very well to the neon lit and futuristic Shinjuku on the main road. This narrow alley shows you a glimpse of the past and should be one of the top to-visit places in your itinerary. There are tiny bars, cheap ramen joints and casual Japanese food diners where many Japanese grab a drink or snack before heading home. It portraits the old and nostalgic times of Japan. Smoke coming out of barbecue grills from tiny restaurants, old architecture and cosy narrow street give out a very traditional vibe. In the recent years this alley has become a touristy spot, hence you might see more tourists than locals here. The colors are vibrant and the street very happening, all this points combined make this a great spot to take pictures. In a way, showcasing the essence of Japanese street culture.

This location is an atrium inside a building. The building is located within walking distance from the Shinjuku station and was recently renovated in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Because the inside is slightly dark and you cannot use a tripod you will have to crank up your ISO for this shot. The design resembles a spider web making this look up very cool. Another famous spot for locals but not so known for tourists.

The spot is taken over a pedestrian bridge. You will need a telephoto or mid-range zoom lens. The neon lit Shinjuku is on display. What makes it interesting is the pedestrians at the bottom of the picture, the cars running and the green train track with the bright buildings at the back, all which depict an accurate image of Shinjuku.

Standing on the same pedestrian bridge you and looking at the other side you get the view below (right bottom picture). This view is also famous and can be seen on a lot of Instagram accounts. For the bottom right picture you will need an ultra wide angle lens.

This picture was taken through a window in a shopping mall located right above the Shinjuku station. You will need a wide angle lens for this shot. The twists and turns of the road below is what makes this spot unique and cool. It’s a great spot to take a picture of the Shinjuku station. Tripods are allowed here.

The lighting on this building changes from time to time. It is one of the most famous government building in Shinjuku. The place is usually busy with people during the daytime but is deserted at night. The picture was taken from the courtyard of the building which is open to the public even at night, long after the building itself is closed.

There are several sculptures in this courtyard. Taking a picture with the sculpture in the composition can result in a unique picture like above, separating you from other photographers.

Shinjuku has a lot of tall buildings in Japanese standards. This spot allows you to take a picture with four of them in one frame. The buildings are close enough to each other for this look up. Taking a long exposure can result in a nice fine art architectural photo.

On the same spot, you can also take pictures like below. Theres a body of water near one of the buildings entrance which reflects the silouhettes of people walking by. The rhythmic shape of pillars add to the picture’s intrigue.