Shinagawa has a retro downtown area and modern buildings existing side by side
Among the four hotel areas in Edo, Shinagawa was the only one facing the sea, and on both sides of the street, there were flourishing inns and tea houses. During the latter half of the Edo Era, there were 1600 establishments with 7000 residents. Currently, the former Tokaido road has become a shopping district which is thriving with shoppers. For instance, within the Kita-Shinagawa Hondori and Kita-Shinagawa Shopping Districts, restaurants, bathhouses and Japanese-style inns stand in a row. There are plenty of izakaya bars where you can even drop by alone, and even at night, they are lively and safe. At the Shinagawa Shuku Koryukan, you can obtain information on tourism, exhibition halls and other subjects along with relaxing in a rest area free of charge. Because there are many shrines and temples, you can roam around while enjoying your shopping. Placing importance on the view, the electric wires have been buried underground and the roads have been paved in stone. In addition, there is the Guest House Shinagawa Shuku which is a simple inn for backpackers in the Kita-Shinagawa Hondori Shopping District. The staff work on an “overall area hospitality”as a theme for international exchange and to positively bring together the neighborhood. With female staff and exclusive washrooms, etc., even solo female travelers can securely use the facility.
Enjoy yakata-bune cruises
Yakata-bune are a very familiar sight representing the summer. There is exceptional viewing of the scenery from the sea as you enjoy every season: the cherry blossoms in spring, the fireworks in summer, moon-viewing in autumn and starry skies in winter. Boarding time is between 2 and 2.5 hours. Meals cost 10,000 yen or more per person. It is pricey but this is a great opportunity to experience an Edo boating excursion. Furthermore, you want to visit Shinagawa Shrine. Established in 1868 as the shrine to protect the Emperor, it is one of the Ten Shrines of Tokyo. It is also famous as the shrine where Ieyasu Tokugawa prayed for victory before going into battle. When going up the steep steps (there is a slope) at the entrance, there is an atmosphere of the surrounding trees that cannot be imagined within a city. This fujizuka, or small hill resembling Mt. Fuji, was for people long ago who couldn’t afford to go and climb Mt. Fuji. Even among the other 80 fujizuka within Tokyo, this is the largest one at over 15 m. Starting from the stairs marked as Level 1, it takes about 3 minutes to reach the top. The view is wonderful and it’s said that you can get the same blessing that you can get from Mt. Fuji itself.