Shinjuku takashimaya times square: Large-scale Commercial Complex in Shinjuku

Shinjuku is one of Tokyo's most vibrant districts, known for its bustling entertainment and business areas. Particularly Kabukicho, Japan's most famous entertainment district, attracts people from across Japan and worldwide, buzzing with activity both day and night.

Additionally, Shinjuku is home to numerous commercial complexes, including long-established department stores and shopping buildings like LUMINE. Beyond the restaurants and bars that enliven Kabukicho at night, it's also an extremely popular shopping destination.

Today, we'll introduce Shinjuku Takashimaya, the famous department store located at Shinjuku's South Exit. We'll cover the highlights that make Takashimaya a recommended shopping destination and showcase notable shops and restaurants within the complex.

Furthermore, we'll introduce other department stores in Shinjuku and popular shopping buildings like LUMINE the Yoshimoto, helping you plan an amazing shopping experience in Shinjuku.

Shinjuku Takashimaya: The Symbol of South Exit Since 1996

Shinjuku Station, serving approximately 3 million passengers daily, is considered the world's busiest station by passenger traffic. The station has three main exits: "East Exit," "West Exit," and "South Exit." This massive station connects major Tokyo railway lines, including JR lines, Odakyu Line, Keio Line, and various subway lines.

Shinjuku Takashimaya is located immediately outside the station's "South Exit." Unlike the bustling Kabukicho area at the East Exit or the business district and Metropolitan Government Building at the West Exit, the South Exit is known as an upscale shopping area with a sophisticated atmosphere.

Completed in 1996, Shinjuku Takashimaya has become a beloved symbol of Shinjuku's South Exit. As soon as you exit the station building, you're greeted by Takashimaya's impressive and elegant structure.

Recommended Features of Shinjuku Takashimaya: Insights from a Local Writer

Shinjuku Takashimaya is a must-visit shopping destination for most people shopping in Shinjuku. As a Tokyo resident, I invariably stop by whenever I go shopping in Shinjuku.

The main appeal is its diverse range of stores, from fashion to food and everything in between. With numerous popular brand outlets, you can enjoy a fulfilling shopping experience without having to traverse the vast expanse of Shinjuku.

The variety of stores makes it enjoyable for all age groups, perfect for family shopping trips. Since childhood, I've frequently visited with my family for shopping and dining.

There are many other appealing points, such as its convenient location and excellent food court facilities.

Let me, as a long-time resident of the Shinjuku area, detail each point that makes Shinjuku Takashimaya a recommended shopping destination.

Just 2 Minutes Walk from Shinjuku South Exit - An Unbeatable Location

One of Shinjuku Takashimaya's best features is its excellent location. It's just 2 minutes on foot from Shinjuku Station's New South Exit and 5 minutes from the South Exit. Along with other major shopping destinations like lumine the yoshimoto, it's part of Shinjuku's premier retail district.

Once you visit, you'll realize how vast Shinjuku is. The area is crowded with people at all hours, making it challenging to move around and explore. Takashimaya, located right in front of the station, is a convenient shopping spot where you can avoid Shinjuku's crowds.

To reach from Shinjuku Station South Exit, first exit the station building, and you'll see Koshu Kaido, a major road, right in front. Cross at the crosswalk and turn left. Soon you'll see the JR New South Exit. Pass by this exit, and you'll immediately arrive at the Takashimaya entrance.

Shopping Area with Diverse Genres and Rich Product Selection

Source: Official Online Store

Shinjuku Takashimaya offers one of Tokyo's top department store experiences with diverse genres and extensive product selections.

From luxury and high-quality clothing and accessories to Japanese brand cosmetics like Shiseido and SK-II, the store offers comprehensive selections. The basement food section features Japanese sweets, green tea, and various Japanese food products from different manufacturers and shops.

The building also houses popular Japanese interior shop Nitori and the widely-loved affordable, high-quality apparel shop UNIQLO. Additionally, Tokyu Hands Shinjuku Takashimaya, which carries everything from daily necessities to stationery, is the largest Tokyu Hands store in Japan.

Authentic Japanese Cuisine at the Food Court

Source: Official website

One of the reasons for Shinjuku Takashimaya's enduring popularity is its excellent food court. Floors 12 to 14 comprise the Restaurant Park, featuring various dining options.

The 14th floor particularly features high-end Japanese restaurants offering authentic cuisine. You can enjoy sushi, teppanyaki, sukiyaki, tempura, and high-end Chinese cuisine. The restaurants on the 14th floor offer panoramic views of Shinjuku, allowing you to dine while admiring Tokyo's skyline and Shinjuku's buildings.

Various Events Showcasing Japanese Culture and Traditional Arts

Source: Official website

One of Takashimaya's highlights is the various events held in the 11th-floor event space. Seasonal events include popular art and traditional craft exhibitions.

Featured traditional crafts include Edo-kiriko (centuries-old beautiful glass craft) and intricately crafted Edo woodwork. The space showcases traditional crafts from across Japan, alongside Japanese painting and contemporary art exhibitions.

Food-themed events are also frequent, such as "Hokkaido Special Products" and "Summer Ice Fair," creating limited-time markets with specific themes.

When visiting Shinjuku Takashimaya, be sure to check the events on the 11th floor. You're likely to experience interesting events that showcase Japanese culture and traditions.

Exceptional Customer Service and 5% Discount Benefits

Source: Official website

Japanese department stores are known for their meticulous customer service. Among them, the historic Takashimaya, located near lumine The yoshimoto, is particularly renowned for maintaining top-tier service quality in the department store industry.

In recent years, they have enhanced their services to ensure international tourists can shop comfortably. The first-floor information desk offers interpretation services, with staff fluent in English and Chinese available at all times.

A notable feature is the "Shopping Privilege Card" available to international tourists. By presenting your passport at the tax-free counter, you can receive a special card featuring Japan's beloved character Hello Kitty.

This card offers a generous 5% discount on purchases over 3,000 yen when presented at Takashimaya stores. When visiting Takashimaya, it's recommended to obtain this valuable card before starting your shopping. Please note that some stores and items may be excluded, so it's advisable to check with staff beforehand.

5 Popular Recommended Shops in Shinjuku Takashimaya

Tokyu Hands

Source: Official website

Tokyu Hands offers daily necessities, beauty products, stationery, house goods, and craft supplies. The Shinjuku store, located near Lumine The Yoshimoto, is their flagship store spanning from the 2nd to 8th floor, making it the largest in the chain.

The highlight is their Japanese stationery perfect for souvenirs. The fourth floor's stationery section boasts one of Tokyo's most impressive selections.

Popular Japanese pens, known for their high quality and smooth writing, can be tested before purchase. Character stickers, traditional Japanese motif stamps, and kanji stamps are especially popular among international tourists.

Japanese-made nail clippers, kitchen knives, and kitchen tools are also recent bestsellers. This shop is particularly recommended for those looking for Japanese souvenirs.

Operating Hours: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Closed: Irregular holidays
Phone: 0353613111
Official Website: https://shinjuku.hands.net/

Kinokuniya Southern Theatre TAKASHIMAYA

Source: Official website

Kinokuniya Southern Theatre, situated on the 7th floor of Shinjuku Takashimaya, not far from Lumine The Yoshimoto, is a large-scale theater venue. It hosts theatrical performances, lectures, and comedy shows.

The theater has a seating capacity of 463. Recently, it has featured many performances by popular Japanese theater groups, musicals, and traditional Japanese rakugo (storytelling) performances.

Performance schedules can be checked on their website. Tickets can be purchased online or at the Kinokuniya Bookstore Main Store located at Shinjuku East Exit's first floor.

Access to the theater from Takashimaya Times Square main building is available via connecting passages on basement floor 1, floor 2, and floor 5. If you're interested in Japanese theater, this venue is highly recommended.

Operating Hours: 10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Closed: Irregular holidays
Phone: 0353613321
Official Website: https://store.kinokuniya.co.jp/store/kinokuniya-southern-theatre-takashimaya/

New Matsusaka

Source: Official website

New Matsusaka, located in the restaurant park on the 14th floor of Takashimaya, specializes in exquisite teppanyaki using premium Japanese wagyu beef. This long-established restaurant, which originated in Osaka in the 1950s, is known for its menu featuring Japan's finest ingredients.

Their course meals showcase supreme wagyu steaks using Matsusaka beef and Kobe beef. Fresh lobster and other premium seafood are also highly popular among diners.

What impressed me most was the breathtaking view of Shinjuku from the window-side seats, offering a spectacular panorama that includes the nearby Lumine The Yoshimoto complex. The night view is particularly mesmerizing, making the wagyu steak experience even more enjoyable and elegant.

This restaurant is highly recommended for those wanting to savor quality wagyu beef in Shinjuku or looking for a restaurant with magnificent views.

Otaru Masa-zushi Shinjuku Branch

Source: Official website

Otaru Masa-zushi is a high-end sushi restaurant where you can enjoy fresh seafood from Hokkaido in Shinjuku. Located on the 14th floor of the restaurant park, it's just a short walk from Lumine The Yoshimoto shopping complex.

The restaurant sources its seafood through a special route from Otaru, Hokkaido, bringing in catches from the same morning. This allows you to enjoy authentic Hokkaido flavors right in the heart of Tokyo.

Their specialties include sea urchin, salmon roe, and herring - all premium seafood caught in Hokkaido waters. The restaurant offers counter seats, table seats, and private rooms. The recommended experience is the counter seating, where you can watch renowned chefs prepare sushi right before your eyes.

This is a first-class establishment perfect for those seeking truly exceptional sushi in Shinjuku. Despite being located in a department store, it maintains the atmosphere of a traditional, high-end sushi restaurant.

Tenshu Saikan Shinjuku Takashimaya Times Square

Source: Official website

Tenshu Saikan offers premium Chinese cuisine with stunning night views of Shinjuku. From the 14th floor, you can see the Shinjuku skyline, Tokyo's building clusters, and even Mount Fuji on clear days.

The restaurant specializes in traditional imperial Beijing cuisine served in an elegant setting. Their signature dish is the Peking duck, where the entire duck, including the skin, is expertly prepared and served. They also pride themselves on seafood dishes, particularly abalone, which is sourced fresh daily from the famous Toyosu Market.

The menu is primarily offered in course formats. It's perfect for those wanting to experience exceptional Chinese cuisine in Shinjuku or looking for a special dinner after shopping at Takashimaya.

Access to Shinjuku Takashimaya

Shinjuku Takashimaya is conveniently accessible from Shinjuku Station. Besides the previously mentioned South Exit access, JR line users can find the Takashimaya entrance immediately after exiting through the New South Exit.

- Address: 5-24-2 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
- Access: 
  * 2-minute walk from JR "Shinjuku Station" New South Exit/Miraina Tower Exit
  * 5-minute walk from Toei Shinjuku Line, Toei Oedo Line, and Keio New Line "Shinjuku Station"
  * 3-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line "Shinjuku-sanchome Station" (directly connected to B1F subway entrance)
 * 2-minute walk from Busta Shinjuku

- Hours: 10:30 AM - 7:30 PM (Restaurant Park: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM; Hours vary by specialty shops)
- Closed: January 1st (Wed/Holiday) & 2nd (Thu)
- Phone: 0353611111
- Official Website: https://www.takashimaya.co.jp/shinjuku/

There Are Many Shopping Facilities in Shinjuku Besides Shinjuku Takashimaya!

Mitsukoshi Isetan Shinjuku Store

Mitsukoshi Isetan Shinjuku Store is a long-established department store that could be called a Shinjuku landmark. Located in Shinjuku 3-chome at the East exit, it's distinguished by its beautiful Art Deco architecture.

The concept of Mitsukoshi Isetan is "Fashion Museum." Among Shinjuku's department stores, it specializes in fashion, offering fashion items for a wide range of age groups. While there are many luxury shops, they also carry trendy fashion items.

If you want to shop for fashion at a department store, be sure to visit Mitsukoshi Isetan. You can enjoy shopping to your heart's content, from high fashion to trend-focused pieces.

- Address: 3-14-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
- Hours: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Phone: 03-3352-1111
- Official Website: https://www.mistore.jp/store/shinjuku.html

Keio Department Store

Keio Department Store is located at Shinjuku West Exit. It's a long-established department store dealing in clothing, food, and luxury jewelry.

With many senior customers, it has a more classic and relaxed atmosphere compared to Takashimaya and Isetan.

On the first floor facing the street, there's a Rolex luxury watch store. The sixth floor features a luxury watch section with precise Japanese brands like Citizen and Seiko.

The first-floor cosmetics section is also well-stocked, especially with skincare products. It's recommended for those interested in Japanese cosmetics.

Besides the ground entrance, Keio Department Store can be accessed directly from Keio Line and Odakyu Line ticket gates at Shinjuku Station's West Exit via underground passages. The underground paths at Shinjuku Station West Exit are complex, and first-time visitors might get lost. It's smooth to ask station staff for directions to the entrance.

- Address: 1-1-4 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
- Hours: 10:00 AM - 8:30 PM
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Phone: 0570-022-810
- Official Website: https://www.keionet.com/info/shinjuku/

LUMINE Shinjuku

LUMINE Shinjuku is a large fashion building in Shinjuku, with three stores around Shinjuku Station. It houses many shops selling ladies' fashion primarily targeted at teens to 30s.

LUMINE EST at Shinjuku East Exit is a fashion building for trend-conscious young women. The main users are women in their teens and twenties, making it a vibrant and lively building.

LUMINE 1 at Shinjuku South Exit features more luxury and high-sense select shops compared to LUMINE EST and LUMINE 2. It also handles men's fashion.

LUMINE 2, also at Shinjuku South Exit, is more casual than LUMINE 1, with moderately priced apparel shops. It's an enormously popular shopping spot, especially among women in their 20s and 30s.

LUMINE is a standard shopping spot in Shinjuku that consistently sets trends. If you're interested in real Tokyo fashion, definitely check it out.

LUMINE EST
- Address: 3-38-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
- Hours: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Phone: 03-5334-0550
- Official Website: http://www.lumine.ne.jp/est/

LUMINE 1
- Address: 1-1-5 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
- Hours: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Phone: 03-5334-0550
- Official Website: http://www.lumine.ne.jp/shinjuku/map/

LUMINE 2
- Address: 3-38-2 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
- Hours: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Phone: 03-5334-0550
- Official Website: https://www.lumine.ne.jp/shinjuku/

NEWoMan Shinjuku

NEWoMan Shinjuku is a fashion building located at Shinjuku South Exit. It's operated by the same company that manages Lumine, which is renowned for housing popular entertainment venues like Yoshimoto's theater spaces.

The concept is even more adult-oriented than Lumine 1, offering sophisticated and stylish fashion targeted at fashion-conscious individuals in their 30s and 40s. The building houses popular domestic brands specializing in fashion, accessories, cosmetics, and interior goods.

It's conveniently located right outside Shinjuku Station's South Exit, next to the express bus terminal building "Busta Shinjuku."

This spot is highly recommended for those who want to explore sophisticated Tokyo fashion and fashion enthusiasts seeking authentic style.

- Address: 4-1-6 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
- Hours: 11:00 - 20:30
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Phone: 0353340550
- Official Website: https://www.newoman.jp/shinjuku/

OIOI (Marui)

Source: Official website

Marui is a shopping complex focusing on fashion, interior goods, and lifestyle accessories. There are three stores in Shinjuku: Marui Main Building, Marui Annex, and Marui Men.

The Main Building in Shinjuku-sanchome primarily features women's apparel shops. It's characterized by stores selling clean and elegant fashion. You'll also find an Apple shop, limited-time pop-up shops, and the premium supermarket Seijo Ishii.

The nearby Marui Annex houses fashion stores, cafes, and a cinema. Marui Men is dedicated to men's fashion shops.

The Main Building is accessible from Shinjuku Station's East Exit via underground passage. With its stylish and clean interior, it's enjoyable even just for window shopping.

- Address: 3-30-13 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
- Hours: 11:00 - 20:00
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Phone: 0333540101
- Official Website: https://www.0101.co.jp/003/

UNIQLO Shinjuku Main Store

Source: PR TIMES

UNIQLO Shinjuku Main Store is a flagship store of Japan's popular apparel brand UNIQLO. Among the five UNIQLO stores in Shinjuku, the main store just opened in October 2024 as a global flagship shop.

Located at Shinjuku East Exit, it offers fashion for women, men, kids, and babies with a concept of high quality at reasonable prices.

The main store has unique features not found in other UNIQLO stores nationwide. Notably, the 'UT' (UNIQLO T-shirt) section offers exclusive Local T-shirts only available in Shinjuku.

A recommended item is the Godzilla art T-shirt, which captures Shinjuku's essence. In fact, there's a building in Kabukicho featuring a giant Godzilla head, which has become a Shinjuku landmark.

UNIQLO also has a store in the previously mentioned Shinjuku Takashimaya. Since each UNIQLO store has its own unique characteristics, it's worth visiting both the main store and the Takashimaya location.

- Address: MI Shinjuku Building 1F-3F, 3-29-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
- Hours: 10:00 - 22:00
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Phone: 0363805115
- Official Website: https://map.uniqlo.com/jp/ja/detail/10101867