Shinjuku Golden Gai

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Shinjuku Golden Gai

A Historic Street of about 300 Bars and Pubs in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho.

4.16 9

Last update :

A traditional, retro-style bar district in Shinjuku's Kabukicho, where about 300 wooden row-house style shops line the narrow alleyways. Renowned for offering an intimate encounter with Japanese culture.

Full of little watering holes that can only have seats at the counter, the staff and other customers get very close. With this homelike atmosphere, you can enjoy drinking, even if you go there alone.

While the majority are venerable establishments, there are also many new bars featuring a variety of concepts.
Rather than staying in one bar for a long time, it’s recommended to try many different places on your pub crawl.

Highlights

  • Since many places are narrow, it’s better to go in groups of one to three.
  • A retro-style bar district. Smoking and eating on the street is prohibited.
  • It’s famous for gathering a diversity of cultured people such as actors and writers.
  • In recent years, many overseas tourists have also visited to get a taste of Japanese culture.
  • Many shops open around 7pm. Some may charge a cover fee.

Photos

  • Shinjuku Golden Gai

    Shinjuku Golden Gai

  • Highly popular among foreign visitors to Japan.

    Highly popular among foreign visitors to Japan.

  • A long line of bar signs

    A long line of bar signs

  • Shinjuku’s Golden Gai in the daytime

    Shinjuku’s Golden Gai in the daytime

  • The Entrance

    The Entrance

  • By day, it exudes a different atmosphere compared to the night.

    By day, it exudes a different atmosphere compared to the night.

Official FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions have been vetted and answered directly by each listing.

Q

Do you have signs or pamphlets in foreign languages? (If you do, which languages are available?)

A

Sorry, we don’t.

Q

Is free Wi-Fi available in the area?

A

No free Wi-Fi available.

Q

Are coin lockers available?

A

Not available.

Reviews

9

Some reviews are translated by AI.

  • The retro vibe of Golden Gai is such a cool contrast to the modern feel of Shinjuku. Super interesting!

    You can really feel the mysterious vibe of old Shinjuku here.

    This experience gave me a whole new perspective on Tokyo's nightlife. It also deepened my understanding of the city's diversity and vibrant energy.

    It's pretty quiet during the day, but at night, it's a whole different vibe.

  • If you love Japanese izakaya food, this is the perfect place. The prices are also very reasonable.

Details

Name in Japanese
新宿ゴールデン街
Postal Code
160-0021
Address
In the vicinity of Shinjuku’s Kabukicho, 1 Chome
Telephone
03-3209-6418 (Shinjuku Sanko Shopping Street Promotion Association)
Access
1) About 1 minute on foot from Exit E-1 of Shinjuku San-Chome Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line, Tokyo Metro Marunouchi and Fukutoshin Lines
2) About 8 minutes on foot from Shinjuku Station on the JR Yamanote Line
Official Website
Official Website (Japanese)