Yakitori Stalls at Omoide Yokocho, Shinjuku

Omoide Yokocho, tucked beside the train tracks near Shinjuku Station's west exit, is a narrow lane of tiny yakitori bars and noodle stalls that dates back to the black markets of the years right after World War II. The alley's nickname translates to "Memory Lane," though older residents still sometimes call it by its blunter, pre-cleanup name, referencing the smoke from charcoal grills that once hung over the passage. Most of the stalls here seat only a handful of customers at a counter, a layout carried over from the postwar era when space and materials were scarce. Paper lanterns marked with shop names and beer brands hang along the frontages, a tradition common to Japanese drinking alleys known as yokocho. The lane survived a serious fire in 1999 and later redevelopment pressure, and today it sits within walking distance of the Kabukicho entertainment district and the skyscrapers of West Shinjuku.