Nightlife > Tokyo > Bars > Shinjuku

About | Access | Hotels & Lodging | Hours & Fees

Golden Gai in the evening just before it starts getting going. Shinjuku, Tokyo Japan

 

About

Golden Gai is a popular nightspot for both Japanese and Tourists and is in Shinjuku, the biggest city in Tokyo.  Golden Gai has a collection of approximately 180 bars that can fit maximum ten people.  The area started as a red-light district, but eventually became a hangout for intellectuals, artists and hipsters. For a long time Golden Gai was known to be unfriendly to foreigners, but the change in ownership have improved its atmosphere making it one of the most welcoming bars in the area.  In the Golden Gai area you can get the real "down and dirty" feel of being in a Megatropolis nightlife zone, like something you would see in a movie such as Blade Runner.  You'll see plenty of tourists here as it is a popular area for it's authentic atmosphere but everyone is out to have a good time.  Most bars are very up-front with their costs, fees and drink prices so take a look at the signs before entry and if you have a question about pricing, ask the bartender before entry.  In general drinks can run from 500 yen to 1,000 yen along with food dishes from a wide range of pricing.  "This and That" adds up though so just be aware of how much you order.

Getting there: Getting to Golden Gai is pretty simple. There are multiple routes you can take but the easiest way is shown in our map. Exit the "East Exit" from Shinjuku station and walk down the main shopping street to the left of Studio Alta. Once you hit Yasukuni Dori (it's a huge street), cross over and make a right at Don Quijote. Next look for Mister Donut on your left and then follow the slightly meandering street down to Golden Gai. At a leisurely pace it'll take about 10 to 15 min. to get there.

Quick History of Golden Gai: After WW2 ended a small Black Market opened up just outside the East Exit of Shinjuku station where people could find things to buy they couldn't buy anywhere else (especially American goods from the American occupation). The Black Market became very popular and drew the attention of the occupying forces and was shut down in 1949.  After being shut down near the station the market and it's stall owners simply moved to it's current location and became not only a Black Market but a place where people could hang out and get a drink at a bar. Golden Gai soon became very popular as a laid back entertainment district for the normal guy so bars, shacks and brothels popped up all over the place. In 1958 Japan outlawed prostitution so the brothels turned into bars or izakaya style restaurants too.

Through the 1960s and 1970s the area became popular with writers, artists and poets. It had a bohemian vibe set amongst the quickly rising modern city. Famous Japanese and foreign artists were known to visit the area regularly. During the 80s when Japan was really booming and land prices were sky-rocketing out-of-control, the Yakuza (Japanese Mafia) set fire to a number of the buildings within Golden Gai in an attempt to burn it down so developers could snatch up the land and build new modern buildings. Although some of the are did succumb to pressure, most of the area is still as it was built in the early 50s.

After Japan's economic bubble started to burst in the late 80's, the area lost much of it's patronage and many buildings/shacks became derelict or even abandoned. It was still visited by hard-core night crawlers but during those times the Japanese didn't go out much and there wasn't much tourism in Japan. However, in the mid-2000s the area started picking up again and when Japan started seeing a Tourism Boom starting in the the early 2010s, Golden Gai has once again become a "Golden" attraction.

 

Access

Closest Train Station: Shinjuku

1-1-8 Kabukicho
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0021 Japan

Golden Gai is a short 6 min. walk from Shinjuku Station. It's not "right out in the open" but it's also not that difficult to find. Follow this Google Walking Directions from Shinjuku Station map and you'll have no problem finding it.

Google Map

 

Hotels & Lodging

Recommended

View a full list of Hotels and Lodging in or nearby Golden Gai.

 

Hours & Fees

Hours: Depends on the bar - most start opening in the evening.

Closed: Every bar is different but bars usually open around 6:00 p.m. and close very late or early morning.

Cost: Average cost ranges from 2,000 to 10,000 yen. Of course all depends on how much you eat and drink.

Information presented is based on the time it was created. There may be changes since publication. Please confirm information by contacting the attraction before visiting.