Nonbei-yokochō

Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa


Nonbei-yokochō – literally 'Drunkard's Alley' – is another of Tokyo's anomolous strips of tiny wooden shanty bars. This one in the shadow of the elevated JR tracks in Shibuya, holding out as the neighbourhood goes into development drive. Here it's a mix of old-school izakaya and wine bars. Note that some of the bars have cover charges (usually ¥500 to ¥1000).