Kabukicho at Night

Kabukicho at night is a “red light” district in Shinjuku, crawling with tourists, working girls, scam artists and host bars. But, it is worth going at least once to see the lights at night. There is a view just outside the entrance to Kabukicho that is like a beautiful scene from a movie. All the movement is mesmerizing. Bright buildings in the background frame a busy road and pedestrian walkway passing under a multi-track train corridor. Everything is moving colour in different directions all at once but it seems to work. Kind of like Tokyo in general.

Kabukicho night view showing colourful lights on large buildings
Kabukicho lights make for fun night photography
Entrance to Kabukicho at night showing red light archway
Entrance archway to Kabukicho.
It is actually not that busy or messy yet. We were here pretty early in the evening.
Girls going to work at hostess bar in Kabukicho standing together on roadway at night
Girls that are most likely working “hostess bars”. Their job is to keep men in the bars company and encourage them to drink and spend. I have found myself as a guest in a few of these kinds of places in China. Mostly, the girls just giggle and chat, light cigarettes and pour drinks. I am not really sure if that many of them actually work in the sex trade. This picture is interesting because these two look like “lambs to the slaughter” especially the way the boys across the street are eyeing them. In reality though, the bars and the girls working them are more likely to make victims of anyone dumb or drunk enough to go in.
Green JR Yamanote train on bridge at night near Kabukicho
The JR Yamanote Line streaks through the bright buildings and over the busy traffic below.
Nightscape view near Kabukicho including colourful buildings, Yamanote train and a cyclist
Another angle…bicycles everywhere..
I love Kabukicho sign on a building in red lights
I am not sure how many people love Kabukicho…It is fun to go but I stay outside : ) I am sure there are some great places here too…I just haven’t explored enough yet.

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