Hanazono Shrine has stood on this spot since before Edo was the capital, and it is now the guardian shrine of Kabukicho, surrounded on three sides by the entertainment district it watches over. Its vermilion main hall faces Meiji-dori; its back gate opens almost directly into Golden Gai. The shrine is dedicated to Inari, the deity of commerce, which explains the number of bar owners and host-club managers who pray here for a good month.
Visit on a Sunday for the antiques market, or in November for the Tori-no-Ichi rake fair, when the lanterns and the crowds make it the most atmospheric night in Shinjuku. On ordinary evenings it is a quiet place to sit between bars, which is exactly how the locals use it.
Tips
- The Tori-no-Ichi fair in November fills the grounds with stalls selling decorated bamboo rakes and street food until midnight
- A flea market is held on most Sundays, from early morning until around 15:00
- Walk through at night from Golden Gai; the vermilion buildings are lit and the path is a shortcut to Yasukuni-dori