Detailed explanation of the history and overview of Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho

 

　table of contents

1. Overview of Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho
2. History of Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho
3. Shops you should go to in Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho
4. Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho events and festivals
5. Access to Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho

Introduction

Omoide Yokocho is a restaurant district in Shinjuku, Tokyo with a unique atmosphere, and is known for its history dating back to the Showa era and for its shops offering a wide variety of food and drinks. In this article, we'll give you an overview of Omoide Yokocho, its history, shops you should visit, local events and festivals, and how to get there.

This area, which has continued to be loved by many people from the post-war reconstruction period to the present day, is a symbolic place where old and new Tokyo come together. As you walk through the alleys of Omoide Yokocho, you can experience how Tokyo's past and present intersect. Now, let's step into the world of Omoide Yokocho, Tokyo's hidden charm.

1. Overview of Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho

Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho is a traditional restaurant district located in Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, where the retro atmosphere of the Showa era remains. This alley was formed as a market for street vendors during the post-war turmoil, and is now home to about 60 restaurants, including motsu-yaki restaurants and yakitori restaurants. The narrow streets are lined with unique izakaya bars, making it a popular spot for both domestic and international tourists.The area also attracts many foreign tourists visiting Japan, making it a place for international exchange.

One of the charms of Omoide Yokocho is its easy access. It is very conveniently located right next to the west exit of Shinjuku Station and only a few minutes walk from Tokyo Metro Shinjuku Sanchome Station. Many of the shops are small, and the atmosphere is such that visitors can casually chat with the person next to them at the counter, making it easy for people to visit alone. There are also restaurants with various themes, where you can enjoy a variety of dishes while feeling the Showa era atmosphere.

This district is made up of three different streets, each with its own distinct character. Nakadori is an area with small old-fashioned restaurants, Yanagidori has many slightly larger shops with mostly table seating, and Omotesori is a shopping street lined with fast food and ticket shops.​​

When you visit Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho, you will enjoy its historical background and modern lively atmosphere.

2. History of Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho

The history of Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho has been influenced by various eras throughout its history. Here we take a closer look at the developments in each major period.

◆ Postwar era (1945s - 1950s)
During the period of turmoil immediately after the end of the war, many street vendors appeared in the burnt-out ruins of Shinjuku's west exit. These merchants mainly dealt in food and daily necessities and supported people's daily lives. During this period, a black market was formed, and it is also known as a market where goods were traded illegally. In particular, motsu-yaki restaurants that mainly made beef and pork offal became popular, and the foundations for Omoide Yokocho (Omoide Yokocho) were laid during this period.

◆ High economic growth period (1960s - 1970s)
As Japan's high economic growth progressed, Omoide Yokocho also changed significantly. New styles of restaurants such as yakitori cabaret appeared, and the area became a place loved by office workers and local residents, and the number of restaurants continued to increase. This was also a time when existing stores were renovated and devised to welcome more customers.

◆ From the bubble economy period to the present day (1980s - present)
During the bubble economy of the 1980s, Omoide Yokocho reached its peak of prosperity, but after the bubble burst, it entered a period of temporary decline. However, in the 2000s, tourists and young people looking for the good old Showa atmosphere once again began to pay attention to the area, and it once again became popular as a tourist spot with a variety of restaurants. In particular, the store design, which emphasizes the retro Showa era atmosphere, is a factor that attracts tourists from Japan and abroad.

In this way, Omoide Yokocho has developed uniquely to the present day, strongly reflecting the changes in Japanese society over time. The reason why it continues to be supported by a variety of customers, new and old, is due to the unique history and culture of this area.

3. Shops you should go to in Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho

■ Motsuyaki Ucchan

"Motsuyaki Ucchan" is an izakaya located in Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho that specializes in motsuyaki, and is known for its ability to enjoy fresh offal at reasonable prices. This restaurant is loved by local patrons and tourists alike for its lively atmosphere and friendly customer service.

There are 27 counter seats inside the store, and the design is such that you can enjoy interacting with other customers in an open space. Ucchan's motsuyaki is simple, but it is slowly grilled over charcoal, resulting in a crispy outside and juicy inside. Parts such as liver and tongue are particularly popular, and each part is served in a cooking method that suits each part.

The drink menu is also extensive, and you can enjoy drinks that go well with motsuyaki, such as lemon sour and hoppy set. There is also a wide variety of side dishes such as giblets stew and liver salted yukhoe, which are perfect as snacks to go with alcohol. As one of the leading izakaya restaurants in Omoide Yokocho, it is known for its high quality and good cost performance.

■ Sasamoto

Sasamoto, a hidden gem in Shinjuku's Omoide Yokocho, doesn't have a signboard and may be a little difficult to enter at first glance, but it's worth taking the first step. If you muster up the courage to step through the door, the deep flavor of traditional offal cuisine awaits you.

There is almost no menu, so you order as you please. Inside the store, there is a well-seasoned grill at the counter, and the offal, which is slowly simmered in a large pot, will whet your appetite. The restaurant's unique cooking method is to lightly heat the food in a pot before grilling it, then grill it. This process is the secret to making the offal surprisingly tender and juicy.

Particularly impressive were the beef offal skewers that were served after being lightly stewed. It is served half-raw, and its softness and deep flavor are a delicacy you won't find anywhere else. In addition, the pork belly skewers wrapped in Japanese ginger and the enoki pork belly skewers were similarly stewed in a pot and then grilled, bringing out the flavor of each ingredient.

■ Kabuto

Kabuto, located in Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho, has been known as a famous yakitori restaurant for many years. This restaurant is proud of its yakitori, which is slowly grilled over charcoal, and its simple yet deep flavor has attracted many fans. The interior of the store is decorated with a strong Showa era atmosphere, creating a space where nostalgia and newness intertwine.

Kabuto's yakitori is made with carefully selected fresh chicken and seasoned with a secret sauce. Particularly popular are the sauce-grilled and salt-grilled chicken, both of which are masterpieces that bring out the juiciness of the chicken and the aroma of the charcoal. The restaurant also serves seasonal vegetables and seafood in yakitori style, and is popular with a wide range of customers, from regulars to tourists.

Kabuto's drink menu is also extensive, with a variety of alcoholic beverages such as local sake, shochu, and beer, and the lineup is designed to pair well with yakitori. The courteous service provided by the friendly staff is one of the reasons why this store has been loved for so many years.

■ Daini Horaiya

“Daini Horaiya” is a famous motsuyaki restaurant located in Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho. The company's founding dates back to 1945, when it began handling pig offal in post-war Shinjuku. For many years, we have been proud of our dishes, which are made using fresh meat shipped directly from Shibaura and grilled over Bincho charcoal.

The restaurant is located on a small alley along the JR tracks, and while the exterior has a standing soba style reminiscent of the Showa era, it is also designed so that you can also sit and eat. There are 8 counter seats, and although the space is small, it is loved by visitors. In particular, the self-service water inside the store and the friendly atmosphere despite the close seating distance attract many repeat customers.

``Daini Horaiya'' is especially popular for its fresh offal sashimi and grilled dishes, and they also offer types that you can't find anywhere else, such as roe sashimi, heart sashimi, and horse sashimi. In addition, the dishes are seasoned with a secret sauce and have been aged for over 70 years, giving them a deep and rich flavor.

■ Gifuya

Gifu-ya is a historic Chinese restaurant located in Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho, with roots in an area that still has strong signs of the post-war black market. In particular, the ramen offered at a surprisingly reasonable price of 430 yen is among the cheapest in Tokyo. The ramen offered at this price is rich in flavor with seaweed on top, and many visitors are surprised at its high cost performance.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant is reminiscent of the good old days of the Showa era, with simple yet warm decorations. The ramen noodles are flat and homemade, making them different from the typical straight thin noodles. The base of the soup is chicken bones, but it has a strong scent of dried sardines, which is unusual for Tokyo ramen, as it uses a seafood-based soup.

■ Kameya

Kameya is a popular standing soba restaurant in Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho, open 24 hours a day. The exterior retains the good old standing soba style reminiscent of the Showa era, and you can basically sit and eat. There are only 8 seats available at the counter, and in the kitchen, male staff wearing white coats boil the soba noodles and fry the tempura.

The seats are narrow, a space that symbolizes the in-between spaces of Shinjuku, and the distance between you and the person next to you is very close, which is also one of the charms of this restaurant. Self-service water must be collected by yourself before being seated. Additionally, although the store is always full, the turnover rate is very high, so waiting times are relatively short.

The menu includes a wide variety of items, from tempura soba, chilled tanuki noodles, warm kake soba to cold zaru soba, all of which can be enjoyed for less than 500 yen. In particular, the ``Ganso Tentama Soba'' is the restaurant's favorite and is chosen by many customers. There are also side dishes such as jumbo gomoku inari sushi, which can be enjoyed with soba.

■ Isuzu

"Isuzu" is a popular and reasonably priced izakaya located in Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho that mainly serves skewers. The store has 10 counter seats on the 1st floor and 20 table seats on the 2nd floor, and is easily accessible from Shinjuku Station, so it is crowded with many customers.

The unique feature of this restaurant is that there are no appetizers, and there is a rule that the first order requires a minimum of 5 skewers. Each skewer is priced from 100 yen, and there is a wide variety of not only chicken but also pork skewers. For example, there are choices such as kashira, shiro, green onion, tongue, heart, liver, naankotsu, and kobukuro, all of which you can enjoy freshly and carefully prepared.

4. Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho events and festivals

The main festivals and events held at Omoide Yokocho include the following:。

■ New Year West Exit Festival

The festival is held every January and features a variety of activities for visitors to enjoy, including a stamp rally and special menu offerings. Participating stores will offer New Year's special dishes and limited edition alcoholic beverages to enliven the New Year's celebratory mood.

■ Summer festival

You can enjoy food stalls, live music, traditional festival games, and more. This summer festival is particularly popular with families and young people, and is a great opportunity to experience local culture.

5.  Access to Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho

Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho is located in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward and can be easily reached by many public transportation options.

■ Access by train
The most convenient way to get there is by train. The nearest station to Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho is JR Shinjuku Station, about a 5-minute walk from the west exit. It is also about a 5-minute walk from Shinjuku Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, making it accessible from multiple lines.

■ Access by car
Although it is possible to visit by car, the Shinjuku area is generally prone to traffic congestion, so public transportation is recommended. If you are driving, it is common to use a nearby coin parking lot, but it is expected to be crowded, especially on weekends and during events, so it is best to arrive with plenty of time to spare.

■ Other information
bicycle or motorbike There is a bicycle parking lot nearby, but please be careful as it can get very crowded. Also, the area around Tsukiji is often a pedestrian paradise, so it's a good idea to take this into consideration when accessing the area.

Finally

Finally, Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho is a place that encapsulates the charm of Tokyo with its diverse dining options, retro atmosphere, and historical background. This area, lined with old-fashioned stores, is a valuable space where you can not only enjoy food culture but also experience Japan's Showa era.

With its interaction with the locals, delicious food, fun events, and convenient access, Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho is a place where everyone who visits will create unforgettable memories. When you are in Shinjuku, be sure to visit Omoide Yokocho and see for yourself its charm.