JAPAN: SHINJUKU IN TOKYO

Shinjuku, one of Tokyo’s most famous districts, has a rich history, the area tracing its development to the opening of Shinjuku Station in 1885 as an undistinguished stop in Japan’s rail network. After the Great Kanto earthquake in 1923, it began to develop into its current form.

Nishi (West) Shinjuku was (and is) a seismically stable area, and largely escaped the devastating earthquake. This led to many businesses relocating there from Marunouchi, Nihonbashi, and Ginza. Shinjuku Station was built to accommodate the increased vehicular and passenger traffic on the western side of Tokyo, and by 1925, it had become Tokyo’s most-used terminal, a title it still holds today.

Shinjuku was then made to accommodate commercial and administrative centers, and financial investments started flowing in. At present, Shinjuku is regarded as one of Tokyo’s biggest shopping districts. More than 3.5 million passengers pass through Shinjuku Station each day, which is recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s busiest. At least 11 of Japan’s tallest buildings are located in Nishi (West) Shinjuku, and the scenery is often used to symbolize the economic power of the city and the country as a whole.