Tokyo · Shinjuku
Golden Gai
The area was a black market after the occupation forces cleared the larger market near the station's East Exit in 1949. In the 50s it was a red-light district, until prostitution was outlawed in 1958. The small bars that remained became a meeting place for writers, directors and artists in the 60s and 70s.
In the 80s, at the height of the real estate bubble, developers tried to push out the building owners and develop the area, sometimes with aggressive methods. An association of the bar owners united and refused to sell, and the area was preserved. Today the six alleys hold between 200 and 300 tiny bars, each the size of 5 to 8 seats.
Good to know
- Look for a 'no cover charge' sign or a price written in English at the entrance. A bar without such a sign may be for locals only, and you can simply move on to the next bar.
- Signs hang in the alleys asking people not to take photos, and inside a bar you ask the owner before you take one.
- Order at least one drink in every bar you enter. There is no tipping, and cash is preferred.
What is nearby
Approximate walking minutes from the entrance of Golden Gai.
- HereGolden Gai
- ~3 min
Hanazono Shrine More to see
A Shinto shrine in the heart of Shinjuku, between the buildings. On most Sundays a flea market is held here in the morning hours.
- ~5 min
Hotel Gracery Shinjuku More to see
The hotel with the life-size Godzilla head peeking from the terrace on the eighth floor.
- ~7 min
Disk Union Shinjuku-sanchome Shopping
Several separate record and CD shops of the same chain, each devoted to a different style: rock, jazz, metal and more.
- ~8 min
Komehyo Shinjuku Shopping
A second-hand department store chain with several branches around Shinjuku 3.
- ~8 min
RAGTAG Shinjuku Clothes and crafts
A designer second-hand clothing shop on floor 4 of the T&T Building, run by RAGTAG, which opened its first shop in 1985.
More in Shinjuku
Appears in: Shinjuku: a free observatory, Gyoen garden, Omoide Yokocho and Golden Gai