{"id":19705,"date":"2017-05-02T07:58:33","date_gmt":"2017-05-01T21:58:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=19705"},"modified":"2025-01-09T06:47:47","modified_gmt":"2025-01-08T19:47:47","slug":"traditional-tokyo-alleyways-locals-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/traditional-tokyo-alleyways-locals-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"5 traditional alleyways in Tokyo where locals eat and drink"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to Japan, many people think of Tokyo<\/a><\/strong> as the ultra modern capital and Kyoto as the ancient one full of all things traditional. But what many people don\u2019t know is that behind Tokyo\u2019s tall buildings and neon lights are little pockets of former times living on despite their changing surroundings. You\u2019d be missing a huge part of Tokyo\u2019s eclectic heart if you miss them.<\/p>\n

What I\u2019m referring to are yokocho<\/em>, traditional-style alleyways lined with tightly packed bars with a maximum capacity of 4-10. Most of the city\u2019s yokocho are from post-WWII times, when they sprang up largely as black markets.<\/p>\n

Today, these alleyways are nostalgic windows into the Showa Era and post-war Tokyo in a growing and chaotic metropolis. It\u2019s where you can get shoulder to shoulder with the regular folk of the city and indulge in cheap drinks and snacks, while feeling like you\u2019re in on a delicious, little secret just out of sight of the main thoroughfares.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s make a turn into Tokyo\u2019s back streets and check out five of Tokyo\u2019s most interesting alleyways…<\/p>\n

The 10 Best Drinking Alley Bars in Tokyo<\/strong><\/h2>\n