Shinjuku Goldengai

No one could say that they’ve been to Tokyo if they have never been to Golden Gai.
One of my most favorite places in T-​Town. Probably, even in Japan.
There is something in the place that is just too amazing for words.
Golden Gai has about 200 ramshackle bars, tightly squeezed in on 6 dimly lit narrow alleys, that are connected with even narrower alleys. This could be one of most rundown (scruffiest even) part of Tokyo. But even so, for me, this is one of the best places to meet people, socialize with locals and just go nuts!
Most bars would be asking for seating charges. I don’t really go for that kind of plan. I drink, That’d be enough to cover whatever they need for one customer (or even 6. Seriously! :P).
I advice you haggle. If you could, you’d be fine! Actually, doing so would add more to the fun.

I went to GG on a Monday in January 2016, and I had read a ton of these reviews saying what a riot it is! I think maybe because it was so cold and maybe because it was Monday, this place was a ghost town.
The bar we went to was called kangaroo court decision, which I think is a hilarious story. The owner opened an English dictionary and flipped through until he found a word that sounded cool. So… The bar was decked out with little kangaroo statues (which was nothing to do with a kangaroo court decision). I found this translation error hilarious.
Anyway, the bar seats about 5 people. The two bartenders were hilarious and friendly and we just chatted the whole time.
It cost 500¥ cover, which is standard if on the cheaper side. It felt annoying to pay a cover because, like I said, the whole district was a ghost town. The only beer they had was Asahi for 600¥ each, and I ordered a couple weak gin & tonics for 600¥ each.
I left not that drunk, and having felt like I spent a lot of money and didn’t get there experience.
If you come try to come on a weekend starting at around 8−9pm.

Golden-​gai, while definitely on the touristy side, is such a freaking blast! Made sure to visit on two different nights because the ambiance, food, and drinks were so great. Make sure to get lost among the countless bars and drink several highballs, as they are de rigueur. Also, try to hop into a couple of the live music bars and belt your heart out. Don’t forget to have your phone at the ready to record the hilarity that will ensue. Added bonus: Almost everyone speaks English (or will attempt to meet you halfway), so no need to be wary if you don’t speak the language.

This places seems to have a massive reputation. So much so that it comes up as a must see in shinjuku. Last night we went along to check it out and to be honest I came away wondering what all the fuss was about.
It’s basically some narrow streets with some tiny pubs all rammed together in the one area. They all tend to have 5 seats max, have different themes or feels and be quite smokey. The idea is you bar hop from one to another downing beers or sake and leave the golden gai in much drunker condition than when you arrive.
The problem is there is no edge to the place. Yes it looks quite cool, but it all feels extremely placid and a wee bit subdued. If you go here and have been to any other drinking areas in big city Asian places like Bangkok Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi, you will know what I mean.
Not a site to rush to, but a decent novelty place for a beer of you fancy a drink or two.

Concept très original: ils ont concentrés dans 4 petites rues environ une centaine de micro bars. Chacun offre une ambiance différente, un esprit authentique.
Tous les bars sont envahis d’habitués de tout âge.
Chaque bar demande un droit d’entrée compris entre 500 et 1000 yens environ.
Bön en tant que touriste, on n’ose pas forcément entrer dans beaucoup de bars, le manqué d’ouverture ou une ambiance d’entrée intimidante. mais une fois posé, on oublie ce petit soucis d’accueil et on se laisse bercer par la chaleur ambiante.

We crawled into a pub and a scene that seemed more like something we’d find in the next sequel of Harry Potter: An old Japanese man who (too) closely resembled Ollivander (wand-​making man) serving not wands– but beers to a bundle of drunk British women who kept yelling «PLAY COLDPLAY!!»
He put his cigarette down, gestures me and my friend to sit at the only two remaining spots by his electric guitars and amp… and of course, waves his hands at the British bundle and grabs his live nirvana DVD from the bookshelf in front of me and loads it into the TV behind him.
As I’m laughing with my friend, I order our two nama beers. Japanese-​Ollivander-​bartender man happily gives us beers and a complimentary bowl of Japanese rice crackers. My friend and I hunch over the bar counter and play the old board games and etch a sketch while this British bundle and the Japanese-​Ollivander-​bartender man are bobbing heads to Kurt cobains «Apologize.»
Two beers + complimentary rice crackers in a packed room with drunk British ladies + nirvana = 700 yen. Really? We left this grand night and back down the steep (totally ADA disapproved) staircase and back into the alley. We’ll be back. Our evening ended too soon!

And I thought that NYC apartments were small…
Just to put things into perspective: 200+ tiny bars and eateries crammed into a maze of six narrow streets. Each place is the size of a small living room, with enough room to sit 6 – 8 people on average.
During our visit we tried 3 different places:
— Bar Plastic Model[1]: a shrine to the plastic culture of the 1980s, from toys to action figures (think Gundam and Urusei Yatsura figures), to Manga heroes of the period (think Doraemon and Lupin the III). Lots of records are stacked by the bar, and you can ask the bartender to play the soundtrack from your favorite Japanese cartoon when you were a little kid. In fact, you can actually request the cartoon itself, since there’s also a projector by the bar.
— Death Match in Hell[2]: I’m not sure this is the correct name, but this is a shrine to horror movies from all over, and heavy metal music. During our stay we got to watch Evil Dead while listening to by Pantera.
— Some random teppanyaki eatery suggested by the bartender of Death Match. The name was written in Japanese, and the menu was only in Japanese too. This place is actually on two floors, with the kitchen downstairs, and a small room upstairs. We can’t read Japanese, so we just asked the people at the bar (all locals) what to eat. The food was delicious; just be warned that, since everything is cooked over an iron griddle and the place is tiny, you’ll smell like food. Interesting bathroom upstairs, in which the sink is on top of the toilet tank…
Be warned that it can get expensive: drinks aren’t cheap, and most places have a cover charge. Since the neighborhood is basically designed for bar hopping, the tab can run really high at the end of the night.
All things considered, however, this is a well worth experience for the adventurous traveler who likes to drink, try new places, blend with the locals, and interact with strangers.
4 stars instead of 5 because, since everybody smokes, you are forced to inhale second hand smoke and you’ll reek of smoke for days afterwards.
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[1]
[2]

An area of alleys on alleys on alleys of tiny bars on bars on bars. 6 seaters, 8 seaters, 10 seaters and maybe 12 seaters.
The only tricky bit is making a choice. Which gets easier as more sake slides down your gullet.
Might I suggest Bar Nana. It’s on a corner. That’s really the best I can do with directions. I can’t emphasis enough how packed with holes in the wall this place is which is part of the spontaneous whirlwind.
Before you know it you’ll enter a spot, be instant pals with whoever is there, be high-​fiving a cat, and stumble on to the next for who knows what the increasingly blurry night will bring.

this area is such a cool area! i absolutely loved all the tiny, micro bars filling the narrow alleyways! i cannot wait to come back to tokyo, this area would definitely be a place we visit again & again! the experience varies on the time of night you visit, which is great, & each bar has it’s own unique character. it’s one of those places that just make tokyo THAT much more awesome!
bottom line: you simply cannot miss this place, you won’t regret it!

Check it out, it’s a pretty wild scene and unlike anywhere else i’ve ever gone out. Think tons of 7 – 10 seat bars. Some joints charge cover, but not all of them so just shop around. I can’t remember the specific bars I went to for… reasons but I had a great time.

A must visit for all you touristy folk!
This place is a world in itself, have to be here to experience it. Wonderful area to bar hop.
Don’t be intimidated by the fact that some establishments won’t take you in because you’re a foreigner — just go on to the next place and try again!

Golden Gai is a row of several small alley ways. There’s tons of bars and restaurants here, but they’re all super tiny.
It’s cozy and intimate as some bars only have a 3 – 5 seats, and restaurants can be cramped. Nonetheless, the places I’ve been to here served legit food and drinks.

Tucked away in the bustling entertainment area of East Shinjuku is the inconspicuously located Golden Gai. Here, there are rows of narrow alleyways filled with tiny dive bars. The term hole-​in-​the-​wall takes a literal meaning here with each bar seating only an average of 6 people at a time. Walking along the quiet alleyways feels like there’s nothing much going on here but in fact there’s an interesting world that exists behind these narrow doors and walls. Think of it as alleys and alleys of speakeasies all congregated together.
Every door is narrow; some are left open and some are close. All doors are opaque which means that for those that are closed we are unable see what is behind them. Closed doors, however, do not mean that the bar is shut for the evening. We see someone opening one of the closed doors to a bar and we quickly catch a glimpse of what’s inside: there’s life going on in there. This is a speakeasy scene at its best. Bars located on the second floor are accessible via narrow stairs. The bars may look shanty from the outside but word is that Golden Gai attracts even the rich and famous with many bars having their own regular customers.
Space is incredibly tiny in each of these bars but the number of them in existence (about 40) along the narrow alleyways is impressive. The sheer thought of the whole lot of speakeasy bars congregating together in this small area brings a new meaning to «nightlife» + «speakeasy» + «bar hopping».