Our group, despite being seven people strong, managed to get the only table in one of the slightly larger restaurants. Charming, right? But charming is exactly what Piss Alley is, and if you can manage to get a table in one of the teeny bars or restuarants, you’ll see why. Given the small space and lack of toilets, people used to answer nature’s call wherever they pleased – hence the name. Piss Alley got its name quite literally, as the area used to be a bit of a dive for dodgy locals to get drunk. The infamous Piss Alley during an unusually quiet moment.
A local hotspot in the city, many of the places in Piss Alley won’t even allow foreigners (or gaijins) in, so don’t take it personally if you try to get a seat in a seemingly empty bar and you are told that it is full. Relatively unknown to tourists, the cramped alley is full of tiny bars and restaurants, some so small they only fit several people at a time. Despite its charming name, Piss Alley is one of the coolest places in Tokyo. The first point of call was the infamous ‘Piss Alley’. We began the night in our tiny Airbnb apartment in Shinjuku, only minutes by foot from the colourful centre of the district.ĭeciding that the night needed to begin on the right foot, we headed downstairs to the Family Mart located just below our building, and we returned to our room loaded with an absurd number of chuhai cans (if you don’t know what chuhai is, I recommended reading this first), and began to plan our assault on Shinjuku. We’d decided to head out into crazy Tokyo, and find the best karaoke bar in the city. In February of this year, much to my delight, I found myself in Japan yet again, this time with six of my mates – Scott, Carlee, Jordan, Dengate, Jono & Hannah. According to Karaoke Scene, the Japanese are generous when listening to others sing, and aren’t shy when handed the microphone which is likely one of the reasons that karaoke has been so largely accepted in Japanese society, and is so common in Tokyo. Most of these karaoke bars offer private rooms, some complete with mini-stages and spotlights, and a waiter is on hand to serve you with enough liquid courage to take on any song.Īs we all know, the point of karaoke is not to impress others with your singing (thank god), but to liven the mood and create a fun, enjoyable atmosphere, regardless of whether you have a good voice or not. From closing a deal with a business associate to bonding with your family, karaoke is sung loud and proud across the many karaoke bars that litter the city of Tokyo. In Japan, karaoke is a huge part of the culture.
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