Nonbei Yokocho and the Shibuya alleys
のんべい横丁と渋谷の路地 のんべいよこちょうとしぶやのろじ
"Drunkard's Alley" — forty bars of five seats each under the railway, unchanged since 1950, a minute from the crossing.
Worth itFood · Late night · Local life · Photogenic
Two narrow lanes beside the JR tracks hold forty bars so small that six customers is a full house: yakitori over charcoal, a counter of oden, a bar with a single bottle of everything. The buildings date from 1950, the owners often from the same families, and the etiquette is simple — one drink and a plate minimum, ask before you photograph, and if the master shakes his head at the door it is full, not unfriendly. The redevelopment towers loom on every side and the alley has a preservation order, which tells you what Shibuya thinks of it.
Don't miss
- Yakitori and a beer at a counter where you can touch both walls
- The lanterns of the alley at night, with the towers behind
- Being talked to, in whatever language is available, by the person on the next stool
- Tip
- Go before eight, try two bars, and carry cash; most do not take cards.
- Best time
- 6–9 pm on a weeknight.
- Allow
- 90 min
- Station
- Shibuya (JR), Hachiko exit, 2 minutes along the tracks
- Official site — hours, prices, closures
- www.city.shibuya.tokyo.jp · Map
Appears in
In this area: Shibuya
Shibuya scramble crossing and Hachiko渋谷スクランブル交差点とハチ公
Three thousand people per green light, a bronze dog who waited ten years, and the best free view from the station's upper floors.
30 min · Shibuya (JR / Ginza / Hanzomon / Fukutoshin lines, Tokyu, Keio), Hachiko exit
Shibuya Sky渋谷スカイ
An open rooftop at 230 metres, with the crossing directly below and Fuji, the Tower and the Skytree around the horizon.
75 min · Shibuya, direct from the station's east side
Udagawacho record shops and Shibuya vintage宇田川町のレコード店と渋谷の古着
The densest square kilometre of record shops in the world — jazz, city pop, hip-hop, each on its own floor.
120 min · Shibuya, Hachiko exit, 5 minutes uphill past Tower Records