Omoide Yokocho
思い出横丁 · Omoide Yokocho
- Ward
- Shinjuku
- Price
- ¥2,000~3,500
- Hours
- varies by shop (typically 16:0
- Closed
- varies by shop
- Getting there
- Shinjuku Stn west exit·B14 exit walk 1~2 min
- Founded
- 1946
- Round stools are packed along the counter and shoulders touch
- Rules differ shop to shop
- Early evening is easiest; the density climbs as the night deepens
We do not republish copyrighted photographs. Use the links below to see the actual venue.
Obvious to locals, invisible to visitors
There is a simple reason guidebooks leave this out: to the people who live here it is too obvious to be worth explaining.
Round stools are packed along the counter and shoulders touch. Shuffling along to let newcomers in is the etiquette here. Keep bags small enough for your lap — a suitcase is effectively impossible.
Rules differ shop to shop — one dish per person, drink limits, no groups of three or more. They are posted at the door, so read before entering. Cash dominates, so carry small notes.
Early evening is easiest; the density climbs as the night deepens. Weekends fill fast, so arrive early if you have a particular place in mind.
People move through these lanes constantly, so stopping to shoot blocks the way. Step to the edge and be quick about it.
What it is
Shinjuku is a ward where a mega-terminal abuts narrow alleys. The sign lighting up is the opening bell. Walk past in daytime and you would not know it was a bar. Many places stock bottled beer, so no draft is nothing to be disappointed about. A rainy weekday is the sweet spot — the crowd thins dramatically. If you want photos, just ask first — permission is usually given readily. One stop off the tourist line and this is what appears — that is the nature of this city.
What to order
Why locals keep coming
Drink prices are transparent — no surprises at the till, which is what brings people back. Having few seats became the strength: a different combination of people every night, and no two nights alike.