Tours and Tickets to Experience Memory Lane (Omoide Yokocho)

There are plenty of ways to experience Memory Lane (Omoide Yokocho). Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Tokyo Bar Hopping Night Tour in Shinjuku
• Shinjuku Izakaya Food Tour
• Tokyo Night Foodie Tour in Shinjuku
• 3-Hours Tokyo Local Bar & Izakaya Crawl in Shinjuku Area
• Tokyo: Shinjuku Food Tour (13 Dishes at 4 Local Eateries)

There is no cost to visit Memory Lane, but you should budget for food. Note that while many shops accept cards, some only take cash. Food tours of the area start at around US$75, many of which include a variety of food tastings. Tours that don’t include tastings usually cost a bit less.

You can find all sorts of traditional Japanese food in Memory Lane, including yakitori, ramen, soba noodles, and—for adventurous eaters—motsu yaki (grilled animal organs). The area also has plenty of bars serving beer, sake, and cocktails.

That depends. Memory Lane isn’t considered suitable for vegetarians or vegans, except for those who just come to visit its bars for drinks. There is currently one spot, Nogataya Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho, that serves vegan food, such as veggie skewers and grilled rice balls, but most food tours of Memory Lane are geared toward those who eat meat.

Memory Lane is near Shinjuku, the main station for the JR East train. Trains that stop at Shinjuku include the Keio and Keio New Line, the Odaku Odawara Line, the Marunouchi Line of the Tokyo Metro, and the Oedo and Shinjuku Lines of the Toei Subway.

The best time to visit Memory Lane is in the evening; many restaurants open around 5pm and the area becomes particularly crowded from 6pm until 9 pm. Spring and fall are ideal seasons for visiting Tokyo, when the weather is its most pleasant.