Shinjuku Golden Gai (新宿ゴールデン街) is a small area of Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan,[1] famous both as an area of architectural interest and for its nightlife. It is composed of a network of six narrow alleys, connected by even narrower passageways which are just about wide enough for a single person to pass through. Over 200 tiny shanty-style bars, clubs and eateries[2] are squeezed into this area.
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Golden Gai is a few minutes walk from the East Exit of Shinjuku Station, between the Shinjuku City Office and the Hanazono Shrine.[3] Its architectural importance is that it provides a view into the relatively recent past of Tokyo, when large parts of the city resembled present-day Golden Gai, particularly in terms of the extremely narrow lanes and the tiny two-storey buildings. Nowadays, most of the surrounding area has been redeveloped: The street plans have been changed to create much wider roads and larger building plots, and most of the buildings themselves are now much larger high- or medium-rise developments. This has left Golden Gai as one of a decreasing number of examples of the nature of Tokyo before Japan's 'economic miracle', that took place in the latter half of the 20th century.
Typically, the buildings are just a few feet wide and are built so close to the ones next door that they nearly touch. Most are two-storey, having a small bar at street level and either another bar or a tiny flat upstairs, reached by a steep set of stairs. None of the bars are very large; some are so small that they can only fit five or customers at one time.[3] The buildings are generally ramshackle, and the alleys are dimly lit, giving the area a very scruffy and run-down appearance. However, Golden Gai is not a cheap place to drink, and the clientele that it attracts is generally well off.
Shinjuku Golden Street Theatre is a tiny theatre in one corner of Golden Gai[4] that puts on mainly comedy shows.[3]
Bars in Golden Gai are known in particular for the artistic quality of their patrons. Golden Gai is well known as a meeting place for musicians, artists, directors, writers, academics and actors, including many celebrities.[2] Many of the bars only welcome regular customers, who initially should be introduced by an existing patron, although many others welcome non-regulars, some even making efforts to attract overseas tourists by displaying signs and price lists in English.[3]
Many of the bars have a particular theme, such as jazz, R&B, karaoke, punk rock or flamenco,[2] and their ramshackle walls are sometimes liberally plastered with movie, film and concert posters. Others cater to customers with a particular interest, such as go, exploitation films, or horse racing.[2] Most of the bars don't open until 9 or 10pm, so the area is very quiet during the day and early evening.[3]
Golden Gai was known for prostitution before 1958, when it became illegal. Since then it has developed as a drinking area, and at least some of the bars can trace their origins back to the 1960s.[2] In the 1980s, many buildings in Tokyo were set on fire by Yakuza, so the land could be bought up by developers,[5] but Golden Gai survived because some of its supporters took turns to guard the area at night.[5]
In Sega's action-adventure game Yakuza series, the Kamurocho Champion Gai area is closely modeled after the Shinjuku Golden Gai.