#3204

Nombe Yokocho - Drunkard's Alley

File under: Only in Japan

That is exactly what the sign says, "Nombe Yokocho" - Drunkard's Alley. It is located about a minute from Shibuya Station - almost directly across the street from a police box. It is a small section next to the JR tracks that is filled with bars. Sorry, this photo is taken during the day, when nothing is open.

At night, the area is filled with people. Well, one type of people - drunks. It's got nothing of the popular image of nearby Center Street or the glitter and glamour of Meiji Street (going to Harajuku) or 246 (going to Aoyama), which are both minutes away. Nombe Yokocho is just dark, rustic, noisy (the Yamanote Line runs on the other side of the wall on the left side of the photo), and drunk.

The 2nd street, located one street further away from the train tracks, is even darker than the 1st. I'm sure that there are some great bars in the alley. I'm certain that there are good times to be had in here, too. But what I appreciate most about Nombe Yokocho is that it exists. Only in Japan.

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mikekato

United States

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