Tokyo's Kabukicho night-life district to have new skyscraper

Putting large scale entertainment venues on higher floors of a skyscraper is plain dumb. Parco in Shibuya has a cinema a few storys up and when the movie ends, all the elevators become clogged and unusable as scores of movie-goers en-mass try to get the heck out . There's no point trying to get lunch on the 7th floor restaurant area, for example, unless you're willing to stand waiting for 15 or 20 minutes in a congested foyer.

Maybe this place has a huge atrium with spacious mezzanines to give access to the venues? I've seen this in other Asian countries and it works, but in Japan, all the places I use rely on elevators and very slow and narrow escalators.

Often mocked and derided, apart from many other dilapidating night-life districts (ex, Ikebukuro west exit), Kabukicho actually seems to have a bright future ahead of it. Since the opening of the Gracery Hotel and Toho Cinemas in 2015, the area's reputation has been slowly changing. The opening of this new tower next week is another big part of that process.

I really hope most cabarets and host clubs go the way of the dinosaur. While it remains a part of Shinjuku's identity and probably always will, the concentration of them in Kabukicho is a bane on the district's reputation.

 unpretentious but tasty meals

wait, no unnecessarily oversized Katsu bowls or 2 meter high parfaits for triple the normal price?

I'm out

So who is in charge of security of that neighborhood ?

The Disneyfication of the city started in Shibuya, is now spreading. Having ruined one area of town, Tokyu are intent on conquering the city. No one goes to Kabukicho for crap like this.

The Disneyfication of the city started in Shibuya, is now spreading. Having ruined one area of town, Tokyu are intent on conquering the city.

What are you talking about? Shibuya is without question the most popular district among foreigners, and evidently also extremely among Japanese.

Why? Isn't Shinjuku already overcrowded? Will this make the station and lines going to Shinjuku even more overcrowded and unpleasant?

I really hope most cabarets and host clubs go the way of the dinosaur. While it remains a part of Shinjuku's identity and probably always will, the concentration of them in Kabukicho is a bane on the district's reputation.

Yeah let's just sanitize everything and build hundreds of basically identical skyscrapers with shopping malls like we see sprouting up throughout the rest of Tokyo so that nowhere in the city has a distinct identity anymore.

Cannot wait to visit to this new premium exciting location. Hope the image of Kabuki Cho will improve thanks to this site.

Another skyscraper. Just what Tokyo needs. I mean, who needs parks, open spaces, trees, cycle lanes, pedestrianized areas? No one, what we need are more skyscrapers. Then some more. Then some more. No need to stop.

I am sure this building just replaced another so the idea of planting trees for a park or having cycle lanes was not in anyone's plans. City planners and commercial developers have to be realistic, don't you think? Jobs were certainly created in its building, and obviously more long term jobs in the running of its various services and upkeep. That's a positive. Besides, Japan has the best travel infrastructure of any country in world to get away and enjoy outdoor activities at a reasonable cost.

It's a cool building. The cloud effect on the top layers make it look like it's in the clouds. If you get the timing right, there'll be some great photo opps.

These giant skyscrapers should be scrapped. They kill any character or flavor that a neighborhood has. Keeping Kabukicho a bit seedy is how I like it.

It’s an incredibly ugly building.