Golden Gai & Piss Alley are two drinking & dining precincts in Shinjuku, that are unlike anywhere else in Tokyo. The two precincts date back to post-war Japan, and were filled with illegal drinking dens and brothels between the 1940s-1960s. Tucked away in the backstreets, not far from the bright lights and skyscrapers of central Shinjuku, Golden Gai & Piss Alley feel a world away from modern Tokyo.

When I spent a week in Tokyo with David, we went for drinks one night in Golden Gai, followed by dinner in Piss Alley – don’t ask why we did drinks first. Spending the evening in Golden Gai & Piss Alley was one of my favourite experiences in Tokyo, and I highly recommend it – I’d just recommend doing dinner in Piss Alley first 😉

Drinks in Golden Gai

Most of the bars in Golden Gai are themed or designed around a particular interest, whether that’s Americana, rockabilly culture, karaoke, or jazz. Despite the ramshackle appearance of Golden Gai, the bars here aren’t cheap. The area attracts lots of well-heeled Tokyoites, particularly artists, academics, musicians and celebrities.

Many of the bars only welcome regulars and require new patrons to be introduced by an existing member. Luckily, there are also bars in Golden Gai that welcome tourists, and encourage them with menus in English. While I normally avoid bars marketing specifically to tourists, in Golden Gai we sought them out as we weren’t welcome at many bars in the area. This makes Golden Gai a little intimidating, as the tiny bars are hidden behind closed doors. Being so tiny, it’s impossible to slip into a bar unnoticed while you suss it out, so it made choosing a bar take a very long time. Eventually we found somewhere we felt welcome and slipped in for a drink.

I enjoyed walking around Golden Gai more than I did drinking there – and much preferred the relaxed atmosphere in Piss Alley.

Dinner in Piss Alley, AKA Memory Lane (Omoide Yokocho)

This area’s official name is Omoide Yokocho, which translates to Memory Lane, but it is better known to locals as Piss Alley. Because Memory Lane started out as an illegal drinking quarter in the 1940s, there was a lack of bathroom facilities…which led to patrons relieving themselves in the streets, earning the name Piss Alley for the area. Despite the unappetising name, Piss Alley is one of my favourite places to eat in Tokyo – and there seem to be enough bathrooms now.

Similar to Golden Gai, Piss Alley is a maze of narrow alleyways in the backstreets of Shinjuku. Rather than intimidating bars, Piss Alley is filled with tiny, convivial food stalls and yakitori bars. The restaurants often only seat 6-8, which makes for a very cosy dining experience. We were there in Autumn, so the alleyways were decked out in pretty autumnal decorations – I love how the seasons are celebrated to wholeheartedly in Japan.

Since most of the eateries are yakitori grills, most of the food stalls are open to the street, which makes Piss Alley much less intimidating than Golden Gai. The alleyways are filled with the chatter of diners and the sizzling of the grills, not to mention all of the delicious aromas wafting out of each stall.

Have you been to Golden Gai or Piss Alley? Let me know your favourite things to do in Japan in the comments!