I was in Shinjuku for a meeting yesterday and stuck around to take some video and pictures. Taking photos in Piss Alley isn’t easy. It’s a place full of history and tradition with regular customers and owners who have watched the city change around them. Pointing a camera around feels wrong there, and generally I obey that instinct. I stopped in spots where I would be unnoticed by paying customers and out of the way, and watched the shopkeepers carefully for signs of irritation. The place seems to have changed a bit since the last time I was there, which was years ago. I had heard it was going to be closed down. I can’t tell, but did they in fact move it over? At any rate, the atmosphere was more relaxed.
Some of the shopkeepers are Chinese. They smiled and didn’t mind me at all. If you’re looking for an old fashioned piss alley experience, I’d recommend looking for a shop with a few sweaty men in slacks and dress shirts inside. They may not want you to take the last seats, if regulars are expected to drop in. Pause a moment before entering. If you get a friendly look, and the food is good, you’re in business. Bring plenty of cash and watch the prices though.
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