Tokyo Sights

Golden Gai

#20 of 690 things to do in Tokyo

#42 of 1790 things to do in Japan

1 reviews | Write a review

  • Address
    • East Shinjuku Shinju-ku
  • Transport
    • Marunouchi or Toei Shinjuku Line to Shinjuku-sanchōme (exit B3)

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Lonely Planet review for Golden Gai

This ramshackle block of tiny bars became golden just in time for the ‘64 Olympics. By day, there’s not much to see here except for dozens of stray cats. But by night, the closet-sized bars, some accessed by stairways steep enough to bruise your shins as you ascend, light up and fill up, mostly with off-duty office workers. There’s been much speculation about the demise of Golden Gai’s rickety structures and narrow alleyways, but for the moment it seems a new generation is buying in and quietly setting up shop.

 

Traveller reviews for Golden Gai (1)

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    hands down my favorite place to drink in Tokyo

    ganbatte recommends this,

    I love drinking here...rows of tiny one room bars, each one different from the last, but all staffed by friendly real Japanese people...none of the fake politeness you get in the chain izakayas! It`s one of the few remaining relics of the `darker` Tokyo. Pretty soon the government will knock it down and build another department store there I imagine...enjoy it whilst you can. Oh, the bars likely don`t have English speaker staff, but don`t worry...just point at the drinks you want from the bar (and most alcohol names are the same in English and Japanese anyway!)

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