Historical landmarks and cultural assets

• Minnano-Izumi or Spring for everyone, is a drinking trough given to Tokyo in 1901 by the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association of London. Made of fine red marble (Blood stone), the Basiuso has different drinking levels for horses and domestic animals, plus an area for humans.

• The Shiki No Michi or Four Seasons Pathway, is a walking trail that parallels the old streetcar rails in Esplanade Park. The mosaic pathway was chosen in 1994 as the place that best represents the heart and soul of Shinjuku due to its lush green plant life.

• Hanazono Shrine was built in honor of a local God, Naito-Shinjuku, in the early seventeenth century. The shrine has been destroyed over and over by fire. The present structure was built in 1965. It holds a copper statue of Foo Dog, a significant symbol of Shinjuku culture.

• Syojuin Temple was constructed in 1594 with a prominent statue that had the appearance of an old woman taking clothes off dead people beside the River Styx. This statue…as legend has it…was commissioned to the wife of a retainer of the shogun. The man thought it was so vile he dedicated it to Syojuin. The sculpture was enshrined around 1700. It is believed to possess miraculous healing powers, and in 1849 was nicknamed a popular deity due the non-stop worshippers who sought its influence. The shrine holds many yearly masses.