Izakaya · Nishi-Shinjuku

Omoide Yokocho 思い出横丁

Smoky postwar alley of tiny yakitori counters squeezed against the JR tracks at Shinjuku West Exit. Lanterns, grill smoke and salarymen shoulder to shoulder: Tokyo's most atmospheric first drink.

HoursVaries by shop; most ~16:00–24:00, some open from lunch

ClosedVaries by shop

PriceTypical spend: ¥3,000

Getting thereShinjuku Station (JR), West Exit, 1 min

Time needed1–2 hours

Best timeWeekday 16:00–18:00 or late night

Address1-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo

Websiteshinjuku-omoide.com

About

Born as a black market in the late 1940s, Omoide Yokocho (still nicknamed 'Memory Lane', and less politely 'Piss Alley') is two narrow lanes holding around 60 shops, most with fewer than ten stools. The specialty is yakitori and motsu-yaki (grilled offal) washed down with draft beer, highballs or hoppy. Despite the crowds of visitors it is still very much a working drinking strip: regulars drop in for one skewer set and a beer on the way home, then leave. Expect seat charges at some places, English menus at many, and a few shops that prefer regulars. A fire in 1999 and decades of redevelopment pressure have not changed the feel: low ceilings, sizzling charcoal, and trains rumbling overhead.

Highlights

Some 60 micro-bars and grills in two lanes barely wider than your shoulders
Charcoal yakitori and motsu-yaki grilled inches from your stool
Counter seats facing cooks who have worked the same grill for decades
Lantern-lit lanes that glow red after dusk, right next to the Yamanote tracks
Late-afternoon openings, so you can start drinking at 4pm like the regulars

Tips

Go 16:00–18:00 on a weekday for seats; after 19:00 every stool is taken
Check for a seat charge (otoshi) of a few hundred yen before sitting
Order a moriawase (assorted set) of 5 skewers rather than item by item
Groups of more than 3 rarely fit, split up and bar-hop
Photos of other customers' faces are frowned upon; ask first

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

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Omoide Yokocho 思い出横丁

About

Highlights

Tips

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