Lost in Translation locations

The inspiration to do this post (as well as many [but not all] links, data and descriptions) came from this guide to travel in Japan.

Lost in Translation tells the love story between Bob Harris (Bill Murray), an American actor in his mid life crisis, who travels to Japan for an appearance in a whiskey commercial, and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), an equally depressed, young American lady, who accompanies her husband on a business trip.

Lost in Translation was almost entirely shot in Tokyo's two loudest and most colorful districts, Shinjuku and Shibuya.

Neon lights of Shinjuku
The neon lit building facades, shown repeatedly in the movie, are located around the entrance to Shinjuku's notorious entertainment district Kabukicho along Yasukuni Dori, just northeast of Shinjuku Station.

Bob Harris (Bill Murray) Suntory Whiskey ad
Shinjuku, a large business and entertainment district around Japan's busiest railway station, is the location of the Park Hyatt Tokyo, the hotel where Bob and Charlotte stay and meet each other.

Occupying the 14 top floors of a 52-storey skyscraper, the Park Hyatt Tokyo is one of the city's best and most expensive hotels. It can be reached in a 15 minute walk or 5 minute bus ride from Shinjuku Station.

Pulling in to the Park Hyatt Tokyo
Bob spends most of his nights in the New York Bar on the hotel's top floor. While the bar offers an amazing view of Tokyo, a bottle of domestic beer for 1,000 Yen is the most inexpensive item on the menu, and that a 2,000 Yen cover fee applies after 8pm (7pm on Sundays).

New York Bar

Charlotte's (Scarlett Johansson) view of Tokyo from the Park Hyatt

For relaxing times, make it Suntory time.
Several other scenes were also shot in the Shinjuku district, for example Charlotte's visit to a small temple in the beginning of the movie (she mistakenly calls the temple a shrine).

Charlotte, attempting to figure out Shibuya station railway map



I'd like to punch Charlotte's husband right in the mouth.

Many other scenes of the movie were shot in Shibuya, a youthful entertainment district three stations south of Shinjuku on the Yamanote Line. They include the pictures of the busy intersection in front of Shibuya Station's Hachiko Exit, which gets periodically stormed by huge crowds of pedestrians and is surrounded by large and noisy advertising screens.


Intersection in front of Shibuya Station's Hachiko Exit

Bob Harris doing the "Lat Pack" for a Suntory Whiskey ad shoot; not that I need to tell you, but the first shot is of Ol' Blue Eyes, next is Dino, then Joey Bishop.

A view of Tokyo from Park Hyatt Tokyo's New York Bar

Bob, Charlotte and their friends enjoy karaoke at the Shibuya branch of Karaoke-kan (30-8 Utagawacho), less than five minutes from Shibuya Station by foot.

The only scenes shot outside of urban Tokyo show Bob playing golf in front of Mt. Fuji and Charlotte traveling to Kyoto.

Bob Harris teeing off with Mt. Fuji looming in the background
Riding the shinkansen (bullet train), Charlotte passes Mt. Fuji and the coastal hot spring resort of Atami (in the wrong geographical sequence). In Kyoto, she visits Heian Shrine and Nanzenji Temple, where she observes a newly wedded couple in traditional attire.


Shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto



Nanzenji Temple
Heian Shrine

We'll always have Paris???