Name: Your First Day In Shinjuku
Uploaded: 2025-11-20T17:58:17.000Z
Duration: 7 min 2 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Transition words & phrases

Your first day in Tokyo can feel overwhelming because there's so much to do.

Let's boil it down to a simple train and walking route of Shinjuku to bring you back to Earth.

Reflexive pronouns

Central Tokyo is broken down into 23 different wards, sometimes referred to as cities themselves.

But first, I have some luggage to drop off, and

it just so happens that I can do exactly that at today's sponsor, the Keio Plaza Hotel.

In Tokyo, you're never far from a great restaurant, so we won't be talking much about food today.

But seeing as I'm too early to check in, I thought I'd at least show you guys where to grab breakfast before heading out.

One of the great things about Tokyo is that even though it has a reputation as a concrete jungle, there are actually a lot of spaces where you can find peace and quiet, like here in Shinjuku Gyoen.

After a long flight, a simple breakfast by the water like this definitely helps me feel settled.

The park is beautiful all year round and has a number of different sections to it.

Right now, we're walking through the beautiful Japanese garden area.

Although the Grand Shinjuku Gyoen has a long history going back to the late 16th century, it actually went from being a feudal lord's residence to a botanical garden to an imperial garden, and

finally to the impressive public park I'm walking through now.

I particularly love this spot by the water because it's one of the first places I visited when I first came to Tokyo.

And it has that perfect contrast of nature versus man made.

Before we head to Kagarazaka, I wanted to show you a building by Sendagaya Station.

This is the National Stadium built by Kuma Kengo.

The more time you spend in Japan, the more you'll realize that this architect is everywhere.

The stadium was completed in 2019 and used as the main stadium for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.

While Shinjuku Gyoen is an absolute staple for a trip to this part of town, the usual first timer might miss the quaint neighborhood of Kagurazaka.

The neighborhood is known as Tokyo's Little France, but

we figured you'd want to see something a little more Japanese on your first day, which is why we're at Akagi Shrine.

Now that you've seen the National Stadium, perhaps you can guess who the shrine was made by.

This is quite a feat for A modern architect.

As most shrines are typically built in the traditional style, all with similar features, Kuma has reimagined traditional elements in a modern way, while keeping all the core shrine features like the main hall and the worship hall.

The most striking difference is the use of glass and the thin lattice work on the outside.

Here, the open and airy design gives it a much more contemporary look.

The shrine fits in well with the chic atmosphere of Kagurazaka, where old meets new with its cute French cafes alongside pockets of Japanese history.

The area made a name for itself during the Edo period as an entertainment district with geisha houses and restaurants, whereas its French characteristics came from an accumulation of culture around the two major French schools in the area.

If the jet lag is starting to hit, this is a beautiful place to take it slow and explore the neighborhood's unique shops.

Of course, there are a lot of hotels to choose from in Tokyo, but

Keio Plaza is a great choice because you can squeeze in one last activity in the evening without having to leave the hotel again.

I've got a spacious room with a great view, but

it's even better from the lounge on the 45th floor.

So let's head there to look at the elaborate projection mapping that happens every night on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building just across from the hotel.

The show runs from sunset to 9:45pm beginning every 30 minutes.

If you don't know what projection mapping is yet, it's simple, simply digital artwork that is projected onto a surface, and

this one has joined the ranks of the Guinness World Records for just how large it is projected across these two massive towers.

There are different themes depending on the time of day and season, so it's a fun show to look forward to with the family.

Honestly, on a first day in any new city, I want to fit in as much as possible, but

this is pretty much my ideal way to end the day.