Located by the West Exit (Shinjuku Nishiguchi) of Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, Omoide Yokocho is a bar district reminiscent of the good old days, still retaining a nostalgic atmosphere. It has its roots in the open-air market that formed in the burnt-out ruins of Tokyo in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. At the time, the street vendors, their stalls separated from each other by single door boards, provided support for residents who had trouble securing daily supplies. With controlled goods being strictly regulated, motsuyakiya, offal shops dealing in popular non-controlled beef and pork products, stood side by side; and this fact has had an impact on the style of the district as it is today.
Today, approximately 80 premises, including ticket shops and some 60 bars and restaurants, mostly motsuyakiya (broiled offal restaurants) and yakitoriya (chicken skewer restaurants) crowd together in about 2,000 m2 of land, giving the district its bustling atmosphere and creating a spot that is popular with overseas tourists as well as locals.
