Omoide Yokocho in Shinjuku, also known as ‘Piss Alley’, is a step back in time to Tokyo’s post-war era. It’s a small precinct of over 80 tiny food stalls in narrow alleyways just outside Shinjuku Station’s West Exit.
Featuring mainly yakitori (grilled skewer) stalls, a wander through Omoide Yokocho after dark offers an atmospheric experience. The tightly packed alleys are bathed in lantern light and filled with delicious smelling smoke from the BBQs at work.
Don’t be shy about stopping into one. Due to the precinct’s reputation as a tourist attraction, the stalls tend to be foreigner-friendly, with English menus available.
The narrow, cosy stalls sell a wide variety of yakitori sticks and accompaniments. If you’re adventurous it’s worth trying some that utilise the parts of a chicken not traditionally used in Western cooking. Heart or liver anyone? But don’t worry, there’s plenty of conventional options too. Chicken wings, chicken thigh and leek-wrapped-in-bacon are readily available.
So take a seat at the counter and have a drink. Then snack on some skewers while watching the proprietors hawking for business and preparing their food.
Address: 1-2-11 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Getting there: 5 minute walk from Shinjuku Station West Exit
Nearby: BEAMS Japan, Bicqlo, Don Quijote, Golden Gai, Mister Donut, Ootoya, PePe Mall, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
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