(1) Location & Access
- These areas are located to the west and south, respectively, of JR Shinjuku Station, a major terminus.
- Shinjuku Station is a major nodal point for transportation rivaling Tokyo Station. Numerous subway lines and private railways extend outwards into the Tokyo suburbs.
(2) Overview
The Nishi-Shinjuku (west shinjuku) area is a skyscraper district developed on the former site of a water purification plant. Numerous skyscrapers have been built here since the early 1970s, including the Shinjuku Mitsui Building and the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building. Including non-office buildings, the number of skyscrapers is more than thirty. The number of department stores and specialty stores connected to Shinjuku Station is increasing and many large-scale electronics stores are competing for space around the station.
The relocation of the Tokyo metropolitan government to this area, in 1991, cemented its position as a major office district. The South Exit area of Shinjuku Station was developed in the mid-1990s, with new hotels and department stores in addition to office buildings. This has helped to connect Shinjuku Station's West and East Exits, and has altered the flow of visitors in the area.
The Nishi-Shinjuku area still has dense, older residential areas and several redevelopment plans are currently underway. This area has been developed under well thought out city planning. It has become a mature district and there are few new construction projects. Since the sizes and the qualities of buildings are comparatively uniform, the area reflects changing trends in the office market and it is often used as a reference index to explain changes in other areas.
(3) Profile Data
1. Major office buildings: year completed, major owner
Shinjuku Mitsui Building: 1974, Mitsui Fudosan
Shinjuku Sumitomo Building: 1974, Sumitomo Trust and Banking
Shinjuku Nomura Building: 1978: Nomura Real Estate Office Fund, Nomura Real Estate Development
Shinjuku NS Building: 1982, Nippon Life Insurance, Sumitomo Realty & Development
Shinjuku Park Tower: 1994, Tokyo Gas Urban Development
Shinjuku Maynds Tower: 1995, daVinci Advisors
Shinjuku Opera City: 1996, Nippon Life Insurance, NTT Urban Development
Odakyu Southern Tower: 1998, Odakyu Electric Railway
2. Major companies
McDonald's Holdings Japan, Orimpus, Microsoft, Apple, Texas Instruments, East Japan Railway, Odakyu Electric Railway, Nomura Real Estate Development
3. Major facilities
Department stores: Odakyu, Keio, Takashimaya
Specialty store: Takashimaya Times Square "Tokyu Hands, Kinokuniya, HMV"
Hotel: Keio Plaza Hotel, Century Hyatt Tokyo, Park Hyatt Tokyo, Hilton Tokyo, Hotel Century Southern Tower
Museum: Seiji Togo Memorial Sompo Japan Museum of Art
Hospitals: Tokyo Medical University Hospital, JR Tokyo General Hospital
Schools and Universities: Tokyo Medical University, Kogakuin University, Educational Foundation Bunka Gakuen, Mood Gakuen (under construction)