18 November 2025
Noodles with no piss and neon
Shinjuku at night
Tonight I did something I have threatened to do for a while, went to Shinjuku and walked around and through it.
Normally I go there and immediately walk away from it, apart from when I am actually staying in a hotel there, which I have not done for years, as it is too costly.
At first I tried to stay away from Kabukicho and focused on the department store area, but then I found myself in the notorious Golden Gai, which I had confused piss alley, which therefore has one of the only public toilets around. I got many offers for services.
For dinner, A few streets away I spotted my favourite, Lanzhou beef noodle, in a very authentic place, only one thing on the menu, properly hand pulled noodles and it was great.
Tomorrow is the last hike, I will go somewhere I have been before, but I still need to get up early and sit on trains for a while.
Behold, Shinjuku that is not Kabukicho. The coloured neon archways are a relatively new addition. I wonder how many have been knocked down by advertising trucks. Also, someone move that van, its in my shot.
I spotted a model car shop. Specialising in just matchbox sized cars. These are all secondhand. This shop had 3 levels, and an annex store across the street.
This is the main street outside the non Kabukicho side of Shinjuku station. I like to stand in the middle of the road near buses.
Isetan looking good.
Good or bad?
Now for what I thought was piss alley but is actually Golden Gai. Almost exclusively for tourists these days as far as I can tell.
There are about 4 little alleys like this, the previously mentioned piss alley is north west of the station, where as Golden Gai is north east.
Here is my fantastic dinner, Lanzhou beef noodle, maybe the best version of it I have ever had.
There are a lot of interesting hotels around, even large ones like this have prices for rest or stay.
Tiny shrine amongst the chaos.
Is this where the robot restaurant was? Is that gone now?
Time to flee.
Back at Ochanomizu, and it has a great opportunity to get decapitated leaning over the tracks to take a cool photo as a train arrives.
Final reminder, tomorrow is a hiking day, the last one.