Yokocho

These tiny alleyways, usually around train stations, sprang up in the post war era, first as black market sites and then later as brothels servicing mostly American G.I.s. These days they’re mostly a collection of small, ramshacked bars and yakitori restaurants. If you’ve ever seen the Netflix show, midnight diner, you have a rough idea of what you’re in for. Golden Gai is probably the most famous and most accessible of these alleyways, while Omoide Yokocho is possibly the most photogenic. Nonbei Yokocho is also rather fun. Most are an odd mix of tourists and salary men, but Ebisu Yokocho seems to cater for a slightly younger and hipper crowd.