When in Japan: Go Retro Shinjuku! Tokyo's Golden Gai

"What is essential is hidden to the naked eye." Once unveiled, one wins the rewards. It's like treading on a rainbow and ending up with the pot of gold.

It was the same for me. Not only was my path lit up by the flickering neon lights, but I was already treading on the rainbow arc all along during my “Shinjuku after hours” immersion. Surprises came when I least expected it (it’s just in every street corner I turn to), and these didn’t come wrapped in bright and dazzling packages.

I was a winner with each spot I found myself in. The new area east of the JR Station was no different.

The locals were entering deserted alleys lit up by small overhead signs and disappearing into small shacks. One alley led to another lined with more of these shacks. Luckily, I was able to peer into one through a small open window and saw a couple sipping beer. Were these shanties private residences? 

Welcome to the infamous Golden Gai, the little giant in Shinjuku’s huge night entertainment sphere, said to be a prostitution area prior to 1958, before it became illegal. Golden Gai is made up of a network of six narrow alleys connected by even narrower lanes wide enough for a single person to pass. As unlikely as it may seem, squeezed into six narrow passages are two hundred “old-style” Japanese bars—jazz bars, R&B bars, karaoke bars, chanson bars, ramen shops, soba shops, and yakitori bars. This feature makes Golden Gai a famous night spot and an architectural interest as well.

Talk about successfully entertaining guests in a ten-square-meter area. The Japanese truly know how to maximize the use of space.

The Golden Gai was what Tokyo was years ago. Though development is inevitable and Shinjuku transformed into what it is now, Golden Gai retained its old-world character and look—two-story buildings of little width built side by side along dimly lit alleys, a small bar at street level that can fit five or six, and another bar or a tiny flat on the upper level accessible via a steep staircase.

The small bars may exude the ramshackle vibe on the exterior, but don’t be fooled by the looks. The tab will reveal that drinks don’t come cheap in these joints. And the clientele? The Golden Gai regulars are generally well-off—musicians, artists, directors, writers, academics, and actors, not to mention prominent cultural figures and celebrities.

Golden Gai comes alive after nine or ten at night. Some bars are exclusively entertaining their regular clients and friends, and a few of the watering holes will cater to both locals and tourists. Whatever the theme one fancies—jazz, R&B, Punk Rock—there will be one to the liking. Or, try the bar next door and meet a popular “mama” or two. It’s the women who run most of the bars in Golden Gai.

Breezing through Retro Shinjuku was another jackpot for me. I didn’t exactly stay in the area long. Let’s just say I got curious, and the curiosity was rewarded…with gold. Lucky me.

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on June 30, 2011.