Literally crammed into a tiny area of Shinjuku, Golden Gai sits in limbo between the days after WW2 and modern Tokyo. A hub for prostitution after WW2, now Golden Gai is a cluster of 200 tiny bars and restaurants lining six alleys, some too narrow for two people to pass side-by-side. While many of these bars were members-only establishments, today there are quite a few who invite in tourists with no requirement to speak Japanese. Every bar has its own personality and accompanying clientele. Golden Gai remains pretty quiet until after 8pm when the regulars start rolling in from work, so come early if you want to find a seat at a bar.