Shinjuku Golden Gai

Golden Gai is a small grid of six narrow lanes on the edge of Kabukicho where around 300 bars are packed side by side in two-storey wooden buildings, many of them barely bigger than a cupboard with a counter and a handful of stools. The district grew up in the years after the Second World War and became a haunt of writers, film-makers, artists and journalists, and while the skyscrapers of Shinjuku have risen around it, its low rooftops and tangle of signs have survived largely intact. It is managed by the local shopping street association, the Shinjuku Sanko Shopping Street Association.

Each bar has its own personality, often reflecting the interests of its owner: there are bars devoted to punk, jazz, film, horror, literature and particular regions of Japan, as well as simple neighbourhood counters. Some actively welcome visitors, with English signs and menus, while others cater mainly to regulars and may politely turn newcomers away, so a friendly greeting and a willingness to move on go a long way. Drinks are usually straightforward: beer, highballs, shochu, sake and simple cocktails.

Many bars charge a cover fee on top of drinks, so check the sign by the door or ask before you sit down. During the district's festivals, such as the spring Sakura Festival and the autumn festival held as part of Shinjuku's wider street events, participating bars have waived the cover charge and offered drinks at a set low price. Photography is restricted: the lanes are private roads, and filming in the area requires permission from the shopkeepers' association, so keep your camera away and respect the small rooms and the people inside them.

Golden Gai is liveliest from late evening until the early hours, and it suits curious travellers, couples and small groups of two or three. Large groups will struggle to find space, and the steep stairs to upper-floor bars are not suitable for anyone with limited mobility. Moving between two or three bars in an evening is the usual approach, and Nagi's ramen counter in the lanes is open 24 hours for a late bowl.

The lanes are at 1-1-6 Kabukicho, next to Hanazono Shrine, about five minutes' walk from Shinjuku-sanchome Station on the Marunouchi, Fukutoshin and Toei Shinjuku lines and around ten minutes from the east exit of JR Shinjuku Station. Omoide Yokocho, on the west side of the station, makes a good starting point for skewers before a night here.