Golden Gai

Golden Gai is about two hundred bars packed into six narrow alleys on a block behind Shinjuku, in ramshackle two-storey buildings put up in the post-war years, most of them with a ground-floor counter seating five to ten people and a steeper stair to a second room above. Each bar has an owner with a theme - a genre of film, punk records, flamenco, a particular decade - and the character comes from the owner rather than the drinks. The block survived the redevelopment that flattened everything around it partly because of fragmented ownership and partly because writers, film-makers and musicians drank here and defended it. Many bars charge a seat fee, typically several hundred to a thousand yen, on top of drinks; some are members-only or regulars-only, some welcome visitors and post so in English. Reading the door before entering is the etiquette.

History

Golden Gai was known for prostitution until 1958, when it was outlawed, and it then grew into a drinking district, some of its bars going back to the 1960s. In the 1980s, when many Tokyo buildings were set on fire by yakuza so that developers could buy the land, its supporters took turns guarding the alleys at night (Wikipedia, Shinjuku Golden Gai).

What's there

• Two hundred tiny bars - six alleys of counters seating five to ten people each.
• Owner-defined rooms - each bar built around one person's theme or taste.
• Post-war shacks - two-storey buildings that outlasted the redevelopment around them.
• Door notices - signs saying whether visitors are welcome and what the seat fee is.

When to go

Evenings from about eight; most bars open late and close very late. An evening.

Practical notes

Seat fees are normal and should be checked before sitting - some visitors feel ambushed. Not all bars accept newcomers and that is not rudeness. Bars are tiny and a group of more than two or three will not fit. Photographing inside without asking is not acceptable.

Nearby

Hanazono Shrine is beside it; Shinjuku station is west.

Key facts