Drinking at Izakayas

Tokyoites love drinking. It’s a fact that can easily be justified by the numerous Izakaya bars wherever you go in Tokyo – in the poshest neighborhoods and even under train tracks. Sake is the classic offering but these days, more and more establishments have ventured into serving other types of drinks. The food menu has likewise diversified although yakitori and sashimi remain the most popular.

In Shinjuku, there’s a popular Izakaya alley called Omoide Yokocho. It has many other nicknames which you might easily recognize – Piss Alley, Memory Alley, and Yakitori Alley. It’s a narrow strip of bars and eateries reminiscent of post-war Tokyo where there’s an overwhelming sense of nostalgia, a barrage of salarymen unwinding after work, and the mixed aroma of food and people.