Steps away from the Shibuya Crossing, in the heart of Tokyo, is a tiny alley with even tinier bars – welcome to Nonbei Yokocho or “Drunkards Alley”.
If you're looking to get a drink in Tokyo, there are a lot nice bars to go. Ones that are easy to find. Ones located on well lit streets. However, if you're willing to take a chance, and want to experience something a little different, then Drunkards Alley located in the Shibuya area of Tokyo may be just the thing you're searching for.
Impossible to find, this alley is dark, dank, borderline creepy and absolutely fabulous. Just steps away from the bright neon lights and the controlled chaos of the world famous "Shibuya Crossing", Drunkards Alley is an oddly quiet place with virtually no sign of hustle and bustle. The only thing you find down this alley are bars. Lots of bars. Very, very small bars. The bars seemed to be almost stacked on top of each other with what seemed like 2 feet of alley space. Each bar has only 4-6 stools and instantly I think – this would be an awesome setting for a Kung Fu movie of sorts.
One of the entrances to Drunkards Alley
The drinks aren't as cheap. And most of the bars were fully packed (yes, packed at 5 people). But you come here for the experience. So that for a couple hours at least you can experience Tokyo the way a "local" experiences it. But you have to earn it -- finding this place is not easy, in fact if you're anything like us, you'll walk right by it a few times before realizing it's there. It's almost like it's purposely being hidden away, so that it doesn't change.
“Drunkards Alley is an oddly quiet place with virtually no sign of hustle and bustle. The only thing you find down this alley are bars. Lots of bars. Very, very small bars...”