Yokocho in Tokyo: Where to Find the City's Food and Drink Alleys

Tokyo’s hidden side streets offer an authentic glimpse into local drinking culture

Yokocho is Japanese for “alleyway,” but it has grown in meaning to refer to the narrow streets packed with izakayas, bars, and eateries tucked away in Japan’s busy streets. Come here for a less polished, more authentic taste of Tokyo, and for the chance to say kanpai! with the locals.

How to Find Tokyo's Yokocho

Tokyo’s best yokocho are found where you’d expect—in areas packed with people and near office buildings, making them a convenient place to unwind with co-workers or duck in to escape the crowds. Most can be found in the business districts and major neighborhoods of the city, like central Shinjuku and Shibuya, Ebisu to the south, and Shimbashi to the east. Within these areas, they are usually within walking distance of major train stations.

Some newer yokocho recreate the feel of a traditional alley indoors, with small eateries sharing one lively floor, as at Shinjuku Kabuki Hall – Kabuki Yokocho in Tokyu Kabukicho Tower and Toranomon Yokocho in Toranomon Hills.

What to Expect at Tokyo's Yokocho

Yokochos are mainly populated with izakayas—places where you can both eat and drink to your heart’s content. If you’re looking for an expensive, 5-star meal, look elsewhere—as you might expect, these alleyways are packed with affordable, no-frills, laid-back establishments. You’ll get to try seasonal home-style specialties that won’t break the bank.

The entrances to izakayas are marked with red or white lanterns with the restaurant’s name written in calligraphy. Noren, or cloth drapes, mark the entrance. Interiors are usually quite compact, some serving only 10 people at a time. Often there is only counter seating, and some don’t even have that—tachinomi, or standing bars, are also quite common.

Once you have found a place, our izakaya guide explains what to expect inside, from ordering drinks and small dishes to paying the bill.

Explore Yokocho by Area

Each area has its own character, from postwar lanes lined with tiny counters to covered alleys packed with eateries. Many are within a few minutes' walk of a major station.

Shinjuku

Omoide Yokocho sits just outside the West Exit of Shinjuku Station. It grew out of an open-air market that formed in the ruins of the city immediately after World War II. Today, around 60 bars and restaurants, many of them specializing in yakitori chicken skewers and motsu-yaki grilled offal, stand alongside ticket shops and other businesses in its narrow lanes. Many counters seat only five or six people, so walk the lanes first and choose a place with room for your group. Filming and photo shoots require prior permission from the shopping district, and smoking in the lanes is prohibited.

Address: 1 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo
More information: Omoide Yokocho

Omoide Yokocho

 

Golden Gai is a tightly packed warren of narrow alleys, where around 280 tiny bars are dedicated to drinking and eating the night away. Popular with tourists and locals alike, you’ll find a bar for everyone here, from classy wine bars to less-than-friendly dive bars.

Golden Gai is in Kabukicho, a few minutes' walk from the East Exit of Shinjuku Station. Most Golden Gai bars open around 8 p.m. Many welcome all visitors, but some are for members only. Visitors are asked not to drink or smoke in the street and not to take photos without permission.

Address: 1 Kabukicho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo
More information: Shinjuku Golden Gai

Shinjuku Golden Gai

Shibuya

Shibuya Nonbei Yokocho, or Drunkard’s alley, dates back to the early 1950s. Conveniently located right next to Shibuya Station, it's known for its yakitori grilled chicken shops, but is home to a large variety of izakayas and bars, some so tiny you can only fit 4 or 5 people inside. Its roughly 40 small bars and eateries have limited seating, so visit in a small group and avoid stopping by just to take photos. Drinking on the street is banned in designated areas around Shibuya Station from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., so enjoy your drinks inside.

Address: 1-25 Shibuya, Shibuya City, Tokyo
More information: Shibuya

Shibuya Nonbei Yokocho

Ebisu

Ebisu Yokocho is one of Tokyo’s best places for foodies to explore—it is known for its extensive selection of delectable cuisine. Most places are open all night, so it’s an ideal place to come if you’re craving munchies after a night out. The covered alley is a two-minute walk from the East Exit of Ebisu Station, and its roughly 20 small eateries serve everything from yakitori and oden to seafood and wine.

Address: 1-7-4 Ebisu, Shibuya City, Tokyo
More information: Ebisu Yokocho

Ebisu Yokocho

Ueno

Ameyoko, the market street that follows the railway tracks between Ueno and Okachimachi stations, is best known for daytime shopping. In the evening, its casual izakaya and the bars under the tracks make it an easy place for a drink after visiting Ueno Park and its museums. For browsing the market in the daytime, see our shotengai guide.

Address: Ueno, Taito City, Tokyo
More information: Ameyoko

Ameyoko

Kichijoji

Harmonica Yokocho is a maze of narrow, covered lanes on the north side of Kichijoji Station. It began as a market that sprang up in front of the station just after World War II and takes its name from its rows of tiny shops, which resemble the reeds of a harmonica. By day, you will find clothing stores, a fishmonger and a traditional sweets maker. In the evening, red lanterns light up the lanes, and small standing bars and eateries fill with people stopping for a drink. It pairs well with a day at nearby Inokashira Park.

Address: 1 Kichijoji Honcho, Musashino City, Tokyo
More information: Harmonica Alley

Harmonica Alley

Shimbashi and Yurakucho

Shimbashi is known as a go-to drinking district for office workers. Traditional izakaya line the alleys around Shimbashi Station, where you can also eat affordable yakitori chicken skewers, Korean barbecue and Chinese food or stop at a narrow tachinomi standing bar. More places to eat and drink line the area under the elevated tracks toward Yurakucho.

Finally, come to Yurakucho’s Farm to Table Dining Alley, also known as Sanchoku Yokocho, to experience the delicacies that regional Japan has to offer right in the heart of Tokyo. The alley, which was renovated in 2019, boasts 11 bars specializing in select ingredients and regional cuisines, and is open twenty-four hours, seven days a week. The alley is a three-minute walk from Ginza Station on the subway and a six-minute walk from JR Yurakucho Station.

Address: 2-1-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo
More information: Shimbashi & Shiodome

Yurakucho Sanchoku Yokocho