JapanTourist: Tokyo's "Red Light District" Kabukichō At Night

Above, a view of Shinjuku (the shadowed buildings in the distance)
 from the observation deck of Tokyo Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Like all major cities, Tokyo has its own "red light district."  In its case, it happens to be Kabukichō in Shinjuku.

I've walked through Shinjuku, but I don't think that walk included Kabukichō (then again, I could've been there, but it was during the day and maybe just didn't notice). One of my co-contributors at JapanTourist has an article on Kabukichō, Shinjuku. She confesses that the district's "red light" section isn't obvious and is rather "tame," compared to the one in Amsterdam.

She starts it with:

Recently I decided that it was time to take a look at the infamous area of Kabukichō in Shinjuku, known as the red-light district of Tokyo. I decided to go there at around five o’clock to wait for the sun to go down. I watched as the natural light disappeared and the flickering city lights came into effect. Kabukichō is an area fraught with hostess clubs, themed restaurants, love hotels and pachinko parlours (Japanese gambling arcades).

If you're inclined to know more about Kabukichō, then you'd want to take a look at the article, which also includes a video of the district at night.

Kabukichō, Shinjuku is also covered on page 26 of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Shinjuku can be reached via the JR Yamanote Line that encircles central Tokyo. Just exit Shinjuku Station through the Kabukichō exit and turn left.

Go here to take a peek.