Shinjuku Golden Gai

An alley in Golden Gai

Golden Gai is a few minutes' walk from the East Exit of Shinjuku Station, between the Shinjuku City Office and the Hanazono Shrine.[6] Its architectural importance is that it provides a view into the relatively recent past of Tokyo, when large parts of the city resembled present-day Golden Gai, particularly in terms of the extremely narrow lanes and the tiny two-story buildings.

Nowadays, most of the surrounding area has been redeveloped: The street plans have been changed to create much wider roads and larger building plots, and most of the buildings themselves are now much larger high- or medium- rise developments. This has left Golden Gai as one of a decreasing number of examples of the nature of Tokyo before Japan’s “economic miracle”, that took place in the latter half of the 20th century.

Typically, the buildings are just a few feet wide and are built so close to the ones next door that they nearly touch. Most are two-story, having a small bar at street level and either another bar or a tiny flat upstairs, reached by a steep set of stairs. None of the bars are very large. Some are so small that they can fit only five or so customers at one time.[6] The buildings are generally ramshackle, and the alleys are dimly lit, giving the area a very scruffy and run-down appearance. However, Golden Gai is not a cheap place to drink, and the clientele that it attracts are generally well off.

Shinjuku Golden Street Theatre is a tiny theater in one corner of Golden Gai that puts on mainly comedy shows.[6]

Bars in the alleys of Golden Gai

Bars in Golden Gai are known in particular for the artistic affinities of their patrons. Golden Gai is well known as a meeting place for musicians, artists, directors, writers, academics and actors, including many celebrities.[2] Many of the bars only welcome regular customers, who initially should be introduced by an existing patron, although many others welcome non-regulars, some even making efforts to attract overseas tourists by displaying signs and price lists in English.[6] Some bartenders are foreign.[7]

Many of the bars have a particular theme, such as jazz, R&B, karaoke, punk rock, or flamenco,[2] and their ramshackle walls are sometimes liberally plastered with movie, film and concert posters. Others cater to customers with a particular interest, such as go, exploitation films, or horse racing.[2] Most of the bars don't open until 9:00 or 10:00 p.m., so the area is very quiet during the day and early evening.[6]

Early Golden Gai

Golden Gai was known for prostitution before 1958, when prostitution became illegal. Since then it has developed as a drinking area, and at least some of the bars can trace their origins back to the 1960s.[2] In the 1980s, many buildings in Tokyo were set on fire by yakuza, so the land could be bought up by developers,[8] but Golden Gai survived because some of its supporters took turns to guard the area at night.[8]

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  Akarui Hanazono Sanban Street at night
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  Akarui Hanazono Sanban Street at night
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  Akarui Hanazono Ichiban Street at morning
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  Overhead view
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  Golden Gai
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  G2 Street at night
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  Akarui Hanazono Goban Street, Akarui Hanazono Sanban Street, Akarui Hanazono Ichiban Street, and G2 Street from above at night
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  Akarui Hanazono Ichiban Street
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  Golden Gai at night
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  "Photography - fee required" sign in Shinjuku Golden Gai
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  No photography sign in Golden Gai

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shinjuku Golden Gai.

• Shinjuku Sanko Shopping District Promotion Association