Omoide Yokocho

Taken here while very jet lagged ages ago and I fell in love with the grungy places that served cheap and delicious food.
Not a «tourist» area. Go here with a local and get treated like the rare creature you are. Eat whatever everyone else is eating. Smile at the nice old toothless guys. Let them talk to you in English. Thank them in Japanese. Have a blast.

lots of yakitori places, we went to a spot that had us going up some stairs to a room without windows, I call it a fire trap, food was good though.

Heaven for yakitori lovers. Im a huge fan of yakitori and this place is a gem tucked in Shinjuku is a must visit for those who are like me. I have to say that it made me less tired just by looking at the rows of yakitoris we passed by as we searched for the one we could get into and of course given you’re in Japan, that was a challenge as there is always a queue you have to endure. We got lucky and got a seat right away in a small shack-​looking one. Others are saying they were charged for the seats, we weren’t. Maybe the other ones do but ours was just the food. The service of course, you do not expect that you’re eating in michelin star place so i think unless someone berated you or threw a tantrum in front of you, then there shouldn’t be complaining. Again, we were lucky, the lady understood english so it wasn’t that hard for us. She waited patiently for us to get our orders done. People go here to eat and just enjoy a glass of beer along with a couple of skewers and we did exactly like that.
Having ordered tsukune (meatball of some kind), pork belly, chicken skewer and other stuff, i would give it a 4 star just because it wasn’t the best yakitori ive ever had. This place is more for the experience that I’d still come back when given the chance.

I’m having trouble between giving Piss Alley a 2 star rating or a 3 star rating, but being that it is my personal opinion that I do not like how they decided to monetize the «awesome tourist attraction» (will explain further) — I will simply settle for a 2.5 star rating.
This alley, upon first glance, looks super exciting– an endless street filled with little stores, but it didn’t appear to be very lit… OH BUT WAIT, it turns out that the action is actually in the little turn you make where there is a sign pointing to the toilets– now THAT little alley looks awesome.
So now, there are EVEN MORE little stores, each of them filled with people (they all seat no more than 8 people). I went into one that’s more towards the beginning of the alley where they had a second floor– I’m guessing this one a little bit more suitable for larger parties of 3 – 4? The thing is… The stairway was a bit narrow for you to walk up (and I believe that the owners were Chinese as I heard them conversing in Chinese). I was also unhappy that the room was filled with smoke (hard to breathe)– on a positive note, it was smoke from skewer making and not from cigs. There was a 300 yen cover charge per person, which… wasn’t too bad, but the skewers were a little bit jacked up in price too (the place didn’t even have beef sticks), so… UGH I’ll do it for the experience, maybe the food would be beyond my wildest imaginations.
K. The skewers were tasty. SUPER TASTY. Whatever sauce they used and the timing they have on the skewers were ON POINT. Two stars for this point alone.
Given that the poor service, the 50s — 60s atmosphere, and the environment itself were all part of the «experience”– I can deal. But, to charge me for a seat? not even the well kept and clean restaurants do this! AND the skewers aren’t even at a reasonable price? Well. Sorry to say that I am not a fan– but that might just be me, and some people may be very into this kind of old-​time vibe, so we can call it even and I’ll add half a star. But make no mistake, I wouldn’t say this was special just because the place was tiny.

It must have been featured in Lonely Planet or something. So many foreign tourists flock in here. Some eat in, others look around just to see what it is like.
This narrow, narrow alley sure portraits old school «Show» era, particularly 50’s and 60’s to be exact.
I’m such sucker to this retro atmosphere (and Mary O said in spot-​on description — «Piss Alley») and I become quite forgiving even if the service is shitty.
Most of the shops are yakitori but there are some few exception of ramen and oden (
).
All overall experience varies depending on who works where.
One night, several of us stumbled up one of yakitori joints in this alley where old lady looking like Melisandre w/​o the neckless and a Korean kid who worked on the grill.
She was rather grumpy. But she seemed to like young guys (20’s). I’m in my 40’s but was accompanied by my friends who were all in late 20’s, so we were well received by her. There was another pair of young guys next to us whom she locked on them, and sat on their lap and pretty much molesting them. This sight was quite entertaining to us.
This lady sucked at math. We drank and ate a lot and charged us 2000yen each. On the other hands, those guys who were molested got charged for 5000 yen for 2 bottle (2liter size) of beer.
I love watching shit show here. «Cold blooded» as Snoop Dogg would put it.

This is a little hidden alley near Shinjuku station. If you want good late night local food, this alley is definitely for you. In one alley lane, you get about 20 small shops that can fit no more than 8 people. When my boyfriend and I came here, we didn’t know which shops to sit in because everything looked so good. A lot of the shops were already full, so we ended up at this one bar that had two seats available.
The staffs here extremely friendly. They have English menus for tourists and they even try to interact with us. A lot of the food in this alley are pretty much the same. They serve lots of alcohol and skewers type of food. Everything is cooked in front of you, so be aware that you will smell like bbq meat.
Because this area is so tight and tiny, I highly recommend tourist to leave your camera equipment back at the hotel and just take one camera with you. Leave your luggage behind and dont bring children. There’s a lot of smokes and boozes.
I love this local alley and I highly recommend everyone to find this hidden gem. You will love this!

This was a pretty good dead animal on a stick place in piss alley. The food was decent enough and the drinks weren’t bad either. The reason I only gave 2 stars is that there was a sitting fee. I think it was about $ 4 – 5 per person but it’s just to be able to sit down. We were surprised by this but as we didn’t find out til after we had our drinks it was a little too late by then. Needless to say we made sure to ask about the sitting fee at the rest of the places we went to before we sat down.

Hmm… This street is known as Piss Alley OR Memory Lane. You pick.
This is probably my FAVORITE location in all of Tokyo. It’s so hidden in the middle of bustling Shinjuku and it is loaded with gems. It’s also VERY local — no English on the menu — which are all GREAT signs. My friend and I first stopped at an eel yakitori place. DELICIOUS. For $ 10 we ordered award-​winning eel. So good and fresh that I can still taste it in my mind… No cold eel on unagi will ever come close to what I had here. We also went to another joint that was very packed. Unfortunately, I don’t know the name of these two places but you would easily know because they are packed and there’s a line. We ate stewed intestines, pig intestine yakitori, cold tofu, and tongue. All of it was DELICIOUS. My favorite Tokyo meal experiences.
Also, one of the best parts is that you sit with locals in a cramped space. You hear them banter back and forth with the men behind the counter while the grill sizzles with meat. Then, wash it all down with cold Asani beer. Life really doesn’t get better than that. So cheap and so authentic. Experiences like what you find in Piss Alley is exactly the kind that I seek on vacation.

According to most travel guides and forums, this is a must try location. You just go into the alley, and its just filled with endless shops that sell mostly skewers. It is an experience all by itself. A lot of the shops look old and a bit dirty.
I only went to one skewer shop, but I would assume every other shop is more or less the same since it appeared the menu with pictures were identical. There’s a 300 yen cover charge right off the bat and ordering a drink was a requirement. The skewers ranged from 200 – 500 yen, so it’s really meant to be a snack.
I have to say that coming here was a learning experience for me in realizing I really enjoy dining on a full table and not on a tiny booth with a stool. I say trying this place if it’s on your list, do it, but I wouldn’t make it a priority to eat, walking through piss alley/​memory lane is good enough.

This food alley is next to Shinjuku station. There’s a good mix of locals and tourists here although some places do not have English menus (and also don’t speak English). Be brave, pop into a shop, and order some beer or sake with meat skewers. I feel like your time here is what you make of it.

We found this place by accident just strolling along the area near Shinjuku station. The contrast between the glitzy Shinjuku shops on the main roads to the throw-​back alley food stalls a few steps away is bewildering. This was a Saturday night so it was packed with locals and tourists. I didn’t even think a place like this existed in what I expected as modern Japan. We found a yakitori place with tables and squeezed in the tiny chairs for a good meal.

Very small place popular with the local late night crowds. Clean inside with english speaking staff. Food is typical yakitori found in many of the joints around here.
Chicken is very moist and tender and comprises 75% of the dishes here. Definitely worth a try.

Piss Alley, baby. I am so there. I’ve heard about this jumble of yakitori watering holes before Jamie W.‘s and my virginal visit, but it was once again Phil Rosenthal’s recent Tokyo episode that made me want what Phil was having. Well, not exactly what he was having since he ran into skeletal indigestion from chewing on an eel’s head, but I love grilled meat on a stick (who doesn’t?) and some offal ain’t bad either. We had quite the dickens finding the place even though it looks fairly straightforward on the Google Maps app. That’s Shinjuku for ya, just a hub of pedestrians going every which way and in the process, turning us around like guinea pigs in a maze.
I asked a retail store worker where it was in my broken Japlish, «Piss Alley, doko-​desuka?» He pointed in the general direction, but we still couldn’t find it. We then waited for an available sales clerk in the Uniqlo right at the train station. She was kind enough to walk with us outside the store and point directly to the green sign marking the entrance of Omoide Yokochō, which translates into Memory Lane (photo:
). Domo arigato. At first, it doesn’t seem all that unique with bars crowded next to each other but once you go inside the labyrinth and see more and more tiny places with grills, counters and bottles of beer, you start to recognize the whole «Blade Runner» vibe that the congested area has (photo:
).
It all looked great to me as I saw piles of yakitori skewers that smelled good to me, but Jamie was not loving it and didn’t like the public restrooms where women pass behind you as you do your business at the urinal. He didn’t want to go into any of the crowded spaces, so we entered one of the few restaurants that had dining tables on a second floor. There we had a tofu starter (photo:
) and the ￥250 Grilled Chicken Wings along with the ￥310 Grilled Pork Loin and the ￥350 Grilled Chicken Hearts (photo:
). We tried to wipe our consciences by ordering the ￥310 Grilled Green Pepper, and we were happy that two sets of skewers came (photo:
). Tasty bar bites that went well with our Kirin beers.
FOOD — 4 stars… nothing more than solid bar bites but tasty and cheap, easy to see why the salarymen come here
AMBIANCE — 3.5 stars… the seediness adds to the atmosphere more than the Uniqlo a few feet away
SERVICE — 3 stars… good at first but tends to get hazy as the evening progresses
TOTAL — 4 stars… ready for a walk down Memory Lane… say, what”s that smell?

This just has to be experienced to understand. It’s a little hidden network of alleys that have all these narrow (one bar stool width) restaurants serving all kinds of grilled things to eat. Every one of these restaurants are packed and everything smells delicious. I can’t remember the name of the spot we stopped in but this is must do experience. Most restaurants will have a sign out front if they have an English menu.
Pro tip: it’s going to be packed so it’s going to be a little uncomfortable if your expecting a sit down meal at a proper table. It’s also going to get a little messy so dress casual. The amazing atmosphere, the warm glow of lanterns and the jovial spirit of everyone there more than makes up for any discomfort.
It’ll really hit you that your in Japan.

Dont think the Main Street is just a few stores make a right at the bathroom sign for a back alley of many establishments. Also watch out for them giving you a different menu that charge you a sit down fee just go to another place, some places dislike foreigners and charge you a sit down fee and treat you like crap.

Omoide yoko-​cho, or Memory Lane, is a street or two of hole in the wall Yakitori restaurants walking distance to Shinjuku station.
The Yakitori restaurants are quite packed, being that max seating at each place is a typical 8 people. Each hole in the wall spot allows smoking, so if you don’t like the smell of smoke while eating, this place may not be for you.
Of course, eating various Yakitori meats not common to your area (horse, livers, hearts, intestines, whale) might be a little disturbing to the average American tourist, they offer alcohol to wash it down and perhaps erase your memory of ever eating it.
4 stars for the diversity, selection and unique ambiance.

We came to this area 3 times during our stay in Tokyo — the first time, we didn’t have the greatest experience but the 2^nd time was such an awesome experience that we came again the next night! Your experience depends on the which yakitori spot you end up at. The first place had a mandatory service charge of 300 yen per person and the 2^nd spot didn’t have a service charge at all — they just asked that you purchase a beverage. So be on the lookout for that when you’re there. Also — not all places in Omoide Yokocho were meat on a stick spots — some specialized in seafood yakitori, noodle bowls, etc… This place is smoky, cramped and small but if you’re ok with that and find that perfect yakitori spot with the best grilled pork livers and grilled chicken hearts — it’s all good.

I don’t understand! Another highly rated area in Shinjuku which really is very average. I’m clearly in the minority here as others in their reviews are blown away by the area and giving it five stars, but for me it’s a 2 or 3 max.
All it is, is a small lane by a station, with lots of mini restaurants that only sit about 5 – 10 people. At one time it used to smell of piss (may still do at times, but not when we were there) hence the nickname piss alley.
You can walk the length of the lane in about 5 mins and if you fancy a bit to eat you will defo have lots of opportunity. Just be careful tho, as several places specialise in intestine stew. Unless that’s your thing of course!
A lane like you find any big bustling Asian city. Bit probably a bit safer and less challenging than most. Worth a look, but nothing really to shout about or draw you back in a hurry.

Good, but would have been great if not for being overpriced. But it is a popular tourist spot, so you can’t really blame them. We went to one of the more popular yakitori places, and it was very good. But 1100 yen for 5 sticks? That’s too much. But a very fun experience.

Une petite allée très sympa qui regorge de petites échoppes de yakitori et autres plats japonais. Le choix est limité mais n’hésitez pas à vous aventurer et à profiter de ce lieu authentique et pas encore trop touristique.
Certains restaurants ont des menus en anglais, ce qui est utile.
Nous avons opté pour des yakitoris et les brochettes étaient fraiches et délicieuses, les légumes bien croquants. La station la plus proche est shinjuku nishiguchi.

«Sumimasen, Omoide Yokocho?», I must have asked eight people in a span of 20 minutes. This small collection of Ramen-​Ya and Yakitori restaurants is difficult to find. Nestled in the shadow of Shinjuku Station’s outbound rail tracks, rests this small network of restaurants congregating into three alleys.
«Piss Alley», it is nicknamed. I can’t quite figure out why this is. There is no smell of urine… nor is there anything overly dirty about the alleys.
Unfortunately, I do not know, nor can I find, the name of the Ramen-​Ya we ate at in this area. All I can tell you is that it was the north end-​cap of the second alley and was quite busy.
«Tabemono Oishii Deska?», my wife asked to the proprietor/​expeditor? He pointed to #2 which was a ramen filled with chashu pork [must have been 10 pieces] in a chicken broth soup. It was made very clear that no photography was allowed inside… urgh!!!
The Broth: A flavorful chicken broth with a medium level of fat. Not creamy though.
The Chashu: While the McDonald’s of the world may exaggerate with there food photography, the picture of the ramen at this establishment was true to form. I have never had so much pork in one bowl of soup in my entire life! And it was all delicious and gone in a flash.
The Noodles: Medium-​sized, the noodles were almost as abundant as the pork resting atop them.
So was this Ramen worth all of the chaos, questioning of non-​English-​speakers and navigation through Japan’s largest red-​light district and the world’s busiest train station? You bet your pork it was!

I will admit, it was overwhelming. How are you supposed to pick one place to eat when everything looks good? We finally settled on a place with an English menu that had two seats open at their bar. The yakitori was great, and the only unusual item on the menu was pig’s womb. We tried it. Tasted like womb.

Memory Lane or Piss Alley isn’t just about the food experience, it’s about the whole atmosphere and ambience of sitting at small bar and having a personal experience with your fellow diners and the chef/​bartender.
It’s good fun whether you go alone or with friends as you’ll end up making new friends before the night is over. I met fellow travellers and locals out for a feed and a drink and I only visited 3 times during my time in Shinjuku.
I’m not sure if any joint is better than the next, basically if you see a free seat — take it and the rest will come along with the beeru or sake. Yakitori is the food of choice, bits of chicken grilled over high temperature coals to get that smokey taste. Most places also have a stew with carrot and bits of offal which is tastier than it may sound!
This for me is a must visit if you come by Shinjuku, its not bright lights or entertainment per se — but it gives an insight into the Japanese culture.

We came here to get our fill of yakitori, during our short time in Tokyo! When you’re in Japan, you should eat yakitori at some point, since it’s the real deal! While I’ve had yakitori in NYC and LA before, it’s just more authentic here, since Japanese people are known to make great yakitori!
My husband and I randomly picked a small shop, sat at the bar, and proceeded to order our fill of yakitori skewers. There were chicken, gizzard, red meats, mushroom, veggies, and more! It’s easy to order 8+ skewers to share, and even get some Japanese beer to go with the meal.
Everything is made to order, and grilled right in front of you. Almost every bar counter was full of people, we were fortunate enough to find 2 empty seats! It’s fun to come after 8:00 pm – the location is rather obscure, we weren’t sure we were in the right place, until we saw yakitori shops lined up in multiple alley-​ways. Then, it became more obvious!
If you’re in Shinjuku, and looking for an affordable fun meal, come here and try it out. You won’t be disappointed!
More photos here:

Piss Alley is a great place to get a cheap eat in Tokyo! Soup with your choice of noodles, delicious broth and huge Tempura for 350¥ — definitely a favorite!

I could see why they refer to this place as ‘Piss Alley’, it literally smells like the streets of DTLA yet with no homeless in sight. As clean as the Japanese are I’m surprised how they’ve managed to stink up a cool little alley which is occupied by tons of yakitori joints. It’s funny upon departure I was no longer smelling traces of urine, possibly the beer I consumed helped camouflage the funk? That is basically what this alley is known for, booze and meat, and lots more booze. A fun spot to go out drinking.
The alley itself was a bit hard to find at first, had local boys walk to me this destination which is pretty much how I got around in the hard to find spots in Tokyo. Just ask the locals and they won’t just point to the destination but literally walk you there! The Yakiniku J-​BBQ spot I tried was located along this alley.

I’d eat beforehand. I left hungry and drunk after coming here a with a bunch of friends. We grabbed some yakitori and it was pretty good but on the pricier side for yakitori. Beers were ~$ 5 or ~$ 6 where we went. It has a dive feel without dive prices. I’d recommend stopping in to check it out but don’t make it your whole night.

Call this place Omoide Yokocho or any other of the English names it is affectionately known as: Yakitori Lane, Piss Alley, or Memory Lane. Located next to the train tracks on the western side of Shinjuku station, the cramped alleyways of yakitori (skewered grilled meat) restaurants and bars bring us into a view of postwar Japan. Its inconspicuous location makes it a tad tricky to locate initially but once we are there it makes us temporarily forget that we are in Shinjuku, one of the busiest areas for business, entertainment, and shopping in Tokyo. Along Yakitori Lane are many hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurants to choose from with each of them big enough to seat up to about 8 people at a time.
The most «adventurous» restaurant is Asadachi which in fact does not quite focus on yakitori alone but specializes in organs, pig testicles, and the infamous frog sashimi. We are the first customers for the night at Asadachi. We go in and seat ourselves on the bench along the very narrowly spaced restaurant that comfortably seats no more than 6 people. The chef stands behind the counter with his mother who helps out. One of their friends is there who appears just to be hanging out with them while chatting loudly in Japanese. This is when our hilarious evening begins. English is hardly spoken at Asadachi and there is a whole lot of hand gesture going on during our interactions. We tried grilled whole frog leg, monkfish liver, rare pig’s womb (interesting…), grilled tofu. Absolutely fun and memorable experience here.
We then moved onto another restaurant. It is time for some skewered meats found ubiquitously along the alleyways here (Asadachi is the exception on Yakitori Lane that does not focus on yakitori). Many of the yakitori stalls are as tiny as each other and just able to fit the kitchen counter and about 8 seats. At each place is a similar scene: the chef stands behind the kitchen counter grilling while customers (many of them salarymen) sit along the counter enjoying sticks of meat and offal with nama biru (draft beer). No one is bothered by the smokey grill at the restaurants.

Omoide Yokocho or Piss Alley as it was once known is a must visit in Shinjuku. It’s a narrow alley next to the JR station. Kinda hard to find but ask anyone and they’d know what you’re talking about.
Forget about those izakayas with flat screen TVs. The smokier, the better. Most stands in this alley does not have an English menu but is nothing to worry about. Set your brain in «adventure» mode and say «oh-​soo-​soo-​may» and be ready to put anything from the grill in yo mouth.
A large bottle of Kirin or maybe a shot or two of Shochu and a gazillion sticks of skewered meat/​animal parts (lol) is all you need for a great night. And maybe share a laugh or two with your friendly server.
After getting your fill of these fine (oh so fine!) skewered goodness, head on to Kabukicho (red light district) and finish your Sarurday night with more debauchery. Hey, when in Rome…