Sightseeing Routes

Yotsuya Okido Site Marker

Okido refers to a simple checkpoint established at entrances/exits to the city in the Edo period. This monument is made from a stone trough from the Tamagawa Aqueduct and was discovered when the Subway Marunouchi Line was constructed in 1959. Yotsuya Okido was actually located where the Yotsuya 4-chome intersection is today.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

The grounds of Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden were a part of the estate granted by Tokugawa Ieyasu to his vassal, Naito Kiyonari in 1590. Its origins can be traced back to the Naito family's residence in Edo. In 1906, it was created as an Imperial Garden. Today, it is open to the public and enjoyed for its plants and distinctive gardens throughout the four seasons.

Photo courtesy "Ministry of the Environment Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden Administration Office"

Taisoji Temple

The temple's official name is Kakanzan Hongakuin Taisoji, and its establishment stretches back to around 1596. It was the temple of the Naito family and is where the family graves are located. Various cultural properties can also be seen, including statues of Enma Daio and Datsueba, deities that have been worshiped here since the Edo period.

Jokakuji Temple

This Jodo sect temple was founded in 1594. In the Edo period, it was also called the "throw away temple" because the maidservants of Naito Shinjuku, who were often engaged in prostitution, were buried in this temple when they died. There is a common graveyard for them with a monument called the "Kodomo Gomaihi" on the temple grounds.

Tonomine Naito-jinja Shrine

Originally built at the residence of early Edo shogunate chief vassal Naito Kiyonari, this shrine holds traces of the legend of the swift horse explaining the origin of Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. It is said the Edo residence was built on land in the present-day Shinjuku Gyoen area given by Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the shrine was built there to enshrine the spirit of Fujiwara no Kamatari.

Fire Museum

Learn about fire prevention and disaster preparedness while seeing the history of firefighting from the Edo period to today. The 5th floor "Firefighting in the Edo Period" area displays materials on extinguishing fires, which can be said to be the start of fire prevention. These include colored woodblock prints, "kawaraban" (single-page newspapers), old texts, and firefighting tools.

Shinjuku Historical Museum

See the transformation of Shinjuku from ancient times to the modern era. The exhibitions show the history and culture of daily life in the Shinjuku area and its diverse characteristics, including samurai residences and townhouses in Edo, and farming villages on the outskirts. The model recreation of Naito Shinjuku is a must-see.

Aizen-in Temple

When Kobo Daishi was traveling on foot around the Kanto region, he established Zenpukuji Temple in Azabu. Aizen-in Temple is said to be its inner sanctuary. It was moved to the current site in 1634. There is a gravestone for Takamatsu Kiroku, who planned the establishment of Naito Shinjuku and is said to be the father of Naito Shinjuku.