Written by Jane Pipkin
Researched by Alexandra Ziminski
Snuggle up and watch a movie — for free on a big screen outside.
What to expect
Shinjuku Central Park turns into an open-air cinema for three evenings in October, with a different film on the screen each night. It is free to attend, but seating is capped at 200 places, so it pays to turn up early.
Every evening runs to the same shape: food trucks open at 5 p.m., a live music set follows at 6 p.m., and the film starts at 7 p.m. It all happens on Fun More Time Hiroba, the water plaza in the middle of the park.
Films in 2026
Screenings start at 7 p.m. each night, and all three films are shown with Japanese subtitles.
- Wednesday, October 7 — Cinema Paradiso (1989, 124 minutes), in Italian
- Thursday, October 8 — La La Land (2016, 128 minutes), in English
- Friday, October 9 — Sing Street (2015, 106 minutes), in English
Pro tip: the subtitles are Japanese only, so Thursday and Friday are the easier nights if you don’t read Japanese. Cinema Paradiso screens in its original Italian.
Live music
A free set fills the hour before each screening, starting at 6 p.m.
- October 7 — a string quintet that has been playing together since 2006
- October 8 — Blue Herd A Bigband, an 18-piece big band that has been going for more than 70 years
- October 9 — the light music club of Tokyo Metropolitan Shinjuku High School
Food and drink
Food trucks open at 5 p.m. and cover plenty of ground, from Tex-Mex and Belgian fries to pho, burgers, buckwheat galettes, and craft beer.
One truck each night also serves a cinema menu tied to that evening’s film: Italian dishes on the Wednesday, a Tex-Mex spread built around Chicken on a Stick — the dream club name from La La Land — on the Thursday, and fish and chips on the Friday to match the Dublin setting of Sing Street.
Last orders are at 9:15 p.m. on October 7 and 8, and 9 p.m. on October 9.
How to get there
The park is in Nishi-Shinjuku, on the far side of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building from Shinjuku Station. Exit A5 of Tochōmae Station on the Toei Ōedo Line connects directly to the park, Nishi-Shinjuku Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line is about a 5-minute walk, and Shinjuku Station (JR, Odakyū, and Keiō lines) is about 10 minutes away.
There is no parking inside the park.
If the weather turns, cancellations are announced on the festival website and on the Shinjuku Convention and Visitors Bureau’s X account. Dates, films, and times are subject to change, so check the official site before you go.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.- 141 m from Tochōmae Station Oedo Line (E28)
- 0.5 km from Nishi-shinjuku Station Marunouchi Line (M7)
- 0.5 km from Nishishinjuku-gochōme Station Oedo Line (E29)
