101 things to do in Shinjuku

1. Get tranquil in Tokyo...

For a spot of tranquility, step into Shinjuku Gyoen, possibly Tokyo’s most beautiful green space. The park is split into French, English and Japanese gardens, complete with teahouse for thirsty explorers. Shinjuku Gyoen map and opening hours

2. Get jazzed up...

Dug is one of the celebrated establishments from the 1960s heyday when Shinjuku was sprinkled with jazz coffee shops, so it's got serious credentials. A nearby basement bar is used for live performances. Dug map and opening hours

3. Try some Okinawan fare...

Pair your soba or set meal featuring bitter melon or rafute with a refreshing glass of Orion beer. Order your food by buying a meal ticket at the entrance. Yanbaru map and opening hours

4. Have tea with cats...

Enjoy an elegant 'necone' scone, or filling lunch under the watchful eye of adorable pet cats Kaiser and Oujo – the shop's name means 'cat' in German – at this black tea specialist shop. Die Katze map and opening hours

5. Snack on artisanal baguettes...

The Calpis Butter Baguette is so popular it sells out pretty much as soon as it hits shelves. But even if you miss out on this one, there are plenty of other delicious baguettes and creatives breads at this bakery. Pan-ya no Don Suke map and opening hours

6. Combine style with electronics...

Reflecting its slogan, ‘Wonderful jumble’, this shop is a collaboration between consumer electronics retailer Bic Camera and fast-fashion outlet Uniqlo, selling products from both stores. Bicqlo map and opening hours

7. Sip rare whisky while watching vintage films...

Choose from 300 varieties of Japanese whisky, many of which are no longer on the market, then sip on your evening malt while owner Atsushi Horigami treats you to an old silent comedy or vintage animation. Zoetrope map and opening hours

8. Eat Beijing style...

Swallow's nest is just one of the unusual ingredients at this Beijing cuisine restaurant, founded in 1963. For appetisers, try the Pidan Tofu (prepared at your table) and the saucy Special Boiled Gyoza. Zuien Bekkan map and opening hours

9. Enhance your home...

Decorating house or shopping for gifts? Start with the renowned Conran Shop, then get lost in the 30 different showrooms over six floors featuring furniture, fabrics, tableware, toys, accessories and imported foods. Living Design Centre Ozone map and opening hours

10. Score a home-run...

Work out some frustration at a batting cage. One game of 28 balls is ¥300. Join the member system and get privileges such as the option to borrow professional-grade bats used by players such as Ichiro and Matsui Hideki. Shinjuku Batting Centre map and opening hours

11. Get your (delicious) greens...

Broccoli and beans have never tasted this good. Get a nutrition boost during a long day of shopping with one of the 40 blends of naturally sweet vegetable juice on offer here – we recommend the 'Five-Vegetable Mix'. Piman map and opening hours

12. Watch a midnight movie...

This 'theatre that doesn't sleep' offers midnight showings and is equipped with digital movie projectors, enhancing the visuals and making this cinema the first of its kind in Japan. Shinjuku Wald9 Cinema map and opening hours

13. Keep it handmade...

A haven for haberdashery enthusiasts, Shinjuku’s Okadaya offers seven floors of buttons, threads and fabrics, alongside wigs, cosmetics and stage make-up. Okadaya map and opening hours

14. Travel through the costume ages...

Japan's largest costume museum boasts a massive collection of everything from ancient kimono to samurai costumes, handbags and hair ornaments. Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum map and opening hours

15. Savour the freshest soba...

Soba and relaxation are the keywords. Think gentle jazz in a refined space while home-made flour is churned out by the stone mill attached to an in-house water wheel. Masudaya map and opening hours

16. Read in another language...

The best-known branch of this chain is in Shinjuku Dori, but the branch behind the nearby Takashimaya is bigger. Here you'll find perhaps Tokyo's largest selection of new books in French, German and English. Kinokuniya Bookstore map and opening hours

17. Bowl like no-one's watching...

If you thought ten-pin bowling was passé, check out this 24-hour bowling alley that's livened up the game with 'Fantasic Lanes' featuring sound and lighting. Night owls can take advantage of their late-night deal. Shinjuku Copa Bowl

18. Feel a little fabulous...

First-time visitors to Tokyo's famous gay district could do far worse than shimmying into this ooh-la-la joint run by celeb cross-dresser Bourbonne. The ‘gay mix’ policy means straight customers won't feel out of place. Campy! Bar map and opening hours

19. See a puppet show...

Tokyo's Puppet Theatre Puk (or La Pupa Klubo) has been going since 1929 and counts 80 puppeteers in its troupe, which performs in a charming theatre complete with miniature furniture and stage. Puk Pupa Teatro map and opening hours

20. Try a manga-inspired treat...

Founded in 1948, Tokiya is a Japanese confectionery store known for its Dorayaki (bean-jam cakes) said to be a replica of the Dorayaki featured in Fujiko F. Fujio's Doraemon manga series. Tokiya map and opening hours

21. Go decadent with ramen...

Tsukemen dipping noodles are a popular ramen variant, but you've probably never had them like this. Order the Sio DX version (¥990) and your noodles will come topped with fried chicken, ajitama egg, seaweed and lemon. 2-Chome Tsukemen Gachi map and opening hours

22. Have a stylish brunch...

Tokyo's belated brunch revolution continues apace with the opening of the first Japanese branch of Sarabeth’s, the New York chain that's been keeping Manhattanites well gorged on porridge, jam and pancakes since 1981. Sarabeth's map and opening hours

23. Share a futuristic tipple...

Push open the graffiti-covered door and enter a dazzling, futuristic bar with fanciful decor created by the many arty characters who've visited in the past. Settle in with a drink (¥800) and enjoy the tranquil atmosphere. Nightingale map and opening hours

24. Gaze out over Tokyo, for free...

When you're looking to get up high but don't feel like paying for the privilege, just head to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, home to two 45th-floor observation decks that are completely free. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatories map and opening hours

25. View some photo art...

Photographers Nobuhiko Ohno, Masato Seto, Hiroyasu Nakai and Daido Moriyama run this gallery, which showcases exhibitions by leading photographers and emerging artists. Place M map and opening hours