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Shinjuku Station is one of Japan’s busiest terminal areas, so it’s always crowded—and that’s exactly why it can feel surprisingly hard to find a toilet when you’re in a rush, or when nearby restrooms are packed.
This guide highlights restrooms that are realistically easy to use around Shinjuku, organized by area. Whether you’re sightseeing, shopping, or taking a quick break between appointments, it’s designed to help you navigate Shinjuku more smoothly.
Toilets You Can Use by Area in Shinjuku
There are toilets inside the station (such as the “Central Restroom”), but here we focus on options outside the station gates and group them by area: East Exit, West Exit, Kabukicho, South Exit, Shinjuku-sanchome, plus quieter alternatives and places that may be usable late at night or early in the morning.
East Exit Area
The East Exit side is accessible from the station’s East Exit and also from Shinjuku-sanchome, and it’s where many tourists and shoppers tend to gather. Restrooms inside commercial facilities and underground areas are the main options here.
First is the toilet located in the underground passage in front of the ticket gates at Shinjuku-sanchome Station (Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line). Even though the underground walkways are busy, it feels clean thanks to regular cleaning.
Restrooms at LUMINE EST Shinjuku are also easy to access directly from the underground passage. The facility operates from 11:00 to 21:00, and the restrooms are generally easy for visitors (including tourists) to use.
Another recommended option is the toilet in Shinjuku Subnade, the underground shopping area spreading beneath the East Exit side. During its 2024 renewal, more spacious multipurpose restrooms were added.
West Exit Area
The West Exit area is known for office buildings and large electronics retailers, and it has many well-equipped building restrooms.
Near Odakyu Ace North Building (SHINJUKU DELISH PARK), there is the Shinjuku West Exit Underground Public Toilet. It’s especially convenient when you’re moving through the underground route from West Shinjuku toward Nishi-Shinjuku or Tocho-mae.
Restrooms at Odakyu Department Store Shinjuku are located on B2F, M2F, 2F, and 7F. They have the cleanliness you’d expect from a department store, and they’re easy to find near stair areas.
Restrooms at Keio Department Store Shinjuku are placed on each floor from 1F to 8F and the rooftop (excluding B1F and MB). The atmosphere tends to be calmer, and it can feel particularly easy to use on weekday daytime.
Kabukicho Area
In Kabukicho, where night-time use is common, facilities that stay open late become especially important.
The toilets at TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku may be usable late at night, since there are screenings that run past midnight.
Also, the public toilet in front of Seibu-Shinjuku Station—located along “Brick St.” under the elevated tracks—can be used 24 hours a day.
South Exit Area
Around the South Exit, there are many commercial buildings, hotels, and restaurants, and the area tends to feel calmer. You’ll often find clean and comfortable restrooms.
At Shinjuku Takashimaya, toilets are available on every floor. Some of the upper-floor restrooms offer views over the South Exit area, creating a more open and airy feel.
Restrooms at NEWoMan Shinjuku are in a relatively new commercial facility, combining cleanliness with a strong sense of design.
Shinjuku-sanchome Area
In Shinjuku-sanchome, restrooms in fashion buildings, large commercial facilities, and cinemas are particularly useful.
At Shinjuku Marui Main Building, you can check crowding status via an app. If you’re in a hurry around Shinjuku-sanchome, scanning the QR code shown on-site can help you decide where to go.
At Isetan Shinjuku (main building), toilets are installed on every floor except the first floor. Because they are placed at stair landings, it can be easier to move to another floor when a particular restroom is crowded.
The cinema toilets at Shinjuku Wald 9 (on the 9th floor of Shinjuku Marui Annex) may be usable late at night, since movies can run until around 4 a.m. The number of stalls is relatively large, and it often feels less crowded.
Quieter “Hidden” Toilets in Shinjuku
Restrooms directly connected to stations or inside major commercial facilities tend to be crowded. As quieter alternatives, several parks in the Shinjuku area have toilets installed.
Examples include: Shinjuku Yuhodo Park (Shiki no Michi) in Kabukicho 1-1; Shinjuku Ward Higashi-Okubo Park in Shinjuku 6-14; Shinjuku Park in Shinjuku 2-9-9; Hanazono Nishi Park in Shinjuku 1-32; Shinjuku Ward Hanazono Park in Shinjuku 1-21-21; Shinjuku Ward Tomihisa Sakura Park in Tomihisa-cho 21-17; Shinjuku Ward Kashiwagi Park in Nishi-Shinjuku 7-14-14; and Shinjuku Chuo Park in Nishi-Shinjuku 2-11-10.
In addition, pachinko parlors and game centers in the Shinjuku area typically have toilets installed, and depending on the venue, they may stay open late.
Toilets That May Be Usable 24 Hours in Shinjuku
Late at night or early in the morning, options are limited. The following are more likely possibilities: public toilets in parks, cinema toilets, and convenience store toilets.
However, some convenience stores explicitly state “No restroom” or “Restroom unavailable,” so you’ll need to check signage.
Recent Toilet Trends in Shinjuku
Recent changes include an increase in restrooms equipped with Dyson hand dryers and a growing number of barrier-free (accessible) toilets.
In addition, Shinjuku Marui Main Building has signage outside restrooms that makes toilet status easy to understand at a glance, and scanning a QR code can show real-time crowding information.
Wrap-up
This guide introduced only restrooms that are realistically easy to use across Shinjuku’s key areas—East Exit, West Exit, Kabukicho, South Exit, and Shinjuku-sanchome—along with quieter options and places that may work late at night.
Department stores and commercial facilities tend to offer clean restrooms with ample capacity, while late-night choices often come down to cinemas, public toilets, and park toilets. If you ever find yourself stuck searching for a toilet in Shinjuku’s underground malls, busy streets, or entertainment districts, use this guide as a quick reference.
Read the original Japanese article on Daily Shinjuku:
https://daily-shinjuku.tokyo/2026/02/03/shinjuku-toilet-guide/
